


It's all Fun and Games until...

by LinaLuthor



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Byleth is Umaru-chan literally, Edelgard is a klutz with sports, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Flame Emperor and Ashen Demon as IGN, Fluff, Gamer Byleth, Gamer Dorothea, Gamer Edelgard, Gamer Ingrid, High School, Multi, Polyamory, Some OOC, lots of gay panic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:20:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 159,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26487805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinaLuthor/pseuds/LinaLuthor
Summary: Edelgard von Hresvelg is the tenth child to the owners of the Hresvelg gaming company, the one that is famous for developing the acclaimed Fokken, a national favorite. As such, under the name Flame Emperor, she has won enough championships in her life - that is, until someone called the Ashen Demon broke her winning streak and has been doing so for years.Unfortunately Edelgard has to leave Enbarr and go to study in Garreg Mach, where she meets Byleth Eisner, the picture of a perfect student, and her friends Dorothea and Ingrid. However, not everything is what it seems at first but that's the game they play, right?
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg, Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth/Ingrid Brandl Galatea, Dorothea Arnault/Ingrid Brandl Galatea, Dorothea Arnault/My Unit | Byleth, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Edelgard von Hresvelg, Ingrid Brandl Galatea/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 95
Kudos: 135





	1. Readyyyyy, go!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is just a silly idea that started with "what if Byleth was like Umaru-chan?" and ended with some sort of plot to them getting together. Some oocness is to be expected because of that xD  
> Mostly I want this to be cute and funny, so there you go. I hope you enjoy this short-ish first chapter!
> 
> (Ps, yes, Hooter is Fódlan Twitter xDDD)

Being awake that late wasn't really Edelgard's thing, unless she was having trouble falling asleep. Around her everything was quiet, as night had fallen several hours ago and was slowly turning into dawn as minutes went by, at first slowly and anxiously so as she waited, waited for her turn to participate. 

Then that time came and as her mind quieted, stopped wondering about when it would be her turn to shine, her previously silent room erupted into sounds, into all the clicks and clacks that accompanied the seconds ticking away on the clock and the motions of her fingers. 

Her eyes, albeit tired, were focused on the screen in front of her so that the rest of her spacious bedroom faded into nothing. The king-sized bed and crimson duvets on the left wall, the racks filled with trophies and medals to the right and the black and golden circular rug on the center, as well as the enormous TV that she was facing, became a mere setting to ground her later, even though she wished she didn't have to pass that last night like that. 

The one part of that room she wished to forget were the several suitcases, filled to the brim with (almost) all of her belongings and waiting to be taken out of the house first thing next morning. Which would be in about… five hours or so. Her heart ached with that realization, with the fact she'd be gone so soon and would be forced to step into uncharted territory. The pain was so stark it made her gaze waver and in the end she missed a move, halting her progress on her adversary and stopping her combination.

The girl hissed to herself and turned back to her game, trying to make up for the lost combo and inflicting more damage on her opponent. She would deal with tomorrow and the move when both of those came - that night, her last one in the mansion she had grown up in, would be dedicated to what she enjoyed doing the most. 

How convenient that it was also the date for an invitational, friendly tourney on Fokken, _the_ game that had brought her all those trophies and medals, the one she dedicated several hours to practicing on an almost daily basis.

Even if on such events, it wasn't Edelgard von Hresvelg who emerged victorious, but her alias the Flame Emperor. And damn if she weren't lucky that most tournaments for Fokken were held online, not only for the distance factor but also because well… no one would take kindly to the game producers' daughter being world champion so many times. As for the ones that she had attended in person and gotten her trophies from, she had a mask and a wig for exactly that. 

Or at least that was how it had been until a certain Ashen Demon showed up and brought an end to her five years of absolute reign over those competitions. 

Edelgard sighed, landed a three-punch combo that was enough to KO her opponent at last. She barely heard the commentator's voice over her headphones as she stretched her hands and prepared for round two. As long as she won that, she'd be in the finals and would have another chance of proving her worth. After all, the Ashen Demon was already waiting for her, their semifinals match had been played before hers and to say it was spectacular would be an understatement.

No matter, the teen thought, already landing her favorite punch-kick-punch combination the moment she and a player named Singer had the go-ahead to restart. She would show them once and for all who was the real champion, who had been the best Fokken player since age twelve. 

The second match went a lot smoother than the first; she knew Singer's playstyle from other competitions, the way they taunted and would prefer fast, powerful moves instead of going for the long damaging game like Edelgard did. So she swiftly disposed of their character, a childish fighter who turned into a dragon sometimes, and got ready for the announcers to call on the final match. Luckily it didn't take long and soon enough they were waiting on their games to get to work, show them the stadium and allow for them to choose their own characters for that last, important fight.

Hands clammy, heart racing, eyes locked in the screen and ears barely registering her surroundings. Yes, she was ready, as ready as she could be and even typed a quick "good luck" in her console after the Ashen Demon sent her a "let's do this", as per usual. 

How many matches had they played, always to the same conclusion? Edelgard didn't know, though the thought made her slightly angry at herself and that was enough to push whatever tiredness away from her body. She had done her best to pack before that Saturday, so she wouldn't have to waste a lot of energy during the day doing that and would have more than enough to play the tournament at night. But of course something would go wrong, curse timezones and the fact her little sister Fiona had forgotten to pack her own stuff, then requested help from the others. And it wouldn't be a good thing at all if she were the only one to deny her any aid with that, thus she did, mentally grumbling and wishing that wouldn't sap her energies or at least not all of them.

In any case it would be over soon. Their matches never took long anyways and when she emerged victorious, she'd go to sleep with sweet dreams of finally beating her archenemy after so long. On her last night in Enbarr too, crowning that as a perfect win. 

Soon they had permission to start and Edelgard smirked, sighed and let herself be emerged into the game again. There she was, battling the Ashen Demon in another final. She would prove herself capable of beating them this time. 

The match started with her flinching and mentally calling herself names, as her opponent landed the first blow and then a combo on top of that. She hated not making the initial move and instead having to run, to put some space between the two characters in order to start attacking back. Yet that was the one thing she could do right then and so she did, realizing her attention was so completely there that the shiny, pretty stage that had been chosen and the commentator's words had become nothing but a background noise.

She wouldn't be distracted, not even by her own mind. She would not let that bad beginning mean the Ashen Demon would win and defeat her in that night of all nights. 

She pushed and struggled, mind barely registering the way her fingers were hurting due to how strong her grip on the silver and red controller was. She heard snapping sounds, meaning she was putting a bit too much strain on it, but couldn’t stop right then. Not when it seemed like she had the upper hand, just as her fighter landed move after move on the Ashen Demon's character and eventually knocked them off the stadium. Edelgard let go of the controller for one second, mostly to dry her hands and celebrate with a small fist pump. Game one had been won, which meant she could be one step closer to victory.

Although there was a smile on her face, she knew it was too early to actually think she had that one down. It had always started like that, with her opponent lulling her into a sense of safety by the simple fact that she had won game one. She had fallen into that same trap too many times in the past year, which was probably what had made her lose all those matches to the Ashen Demon to begin with.

No, not this time. She would leave Enbarr as a proud champion and tonight would be the night she struck gold again.

Her bravado took her well through the second match, though it seemed that her enemy had yet again adapted to her playstyle. The Ashen Demon never settled on a specific strategy or fighter, always showing great competence with all of them as well as the ability to counter appropriately when required. Thus they were able to break Edelgard’s combos as if they had studied it throughout their entire lives and land hits without taking too much damage themselves. It was annoying to say the least, daring to say the most and it put Edelgard on edge just as it always did.

They jumped and dodged when Edelgard attacked, then countered and went on the offensive the exact second she attempted a riskier move that left her character's guard down for a small second. That was all they needed, it seemed, and her fighter was soon thrown off the stage after only dealing minimal damage to the Ashen Demon’s. 

Edelgard grunted, bit her lip to stop herself from cursing. She was paying even more attention now, willing to learn from her mistakes and change her usual playstyle as well. It was a dangerous move to pull on the final, decisive match of a tourney, but she wasn’t about to go losing to the same person again for the same reasons as before. No more insisting on her tactics and letting herself be read like a damn book. This time she would change and do the same that the Ashen had done, then see how well that fit her too.

Thus instead of attacking as soon as she could when the third and final round started, Edelgard stood still and waited. The aggravating part was that her opponent did the same, as if reading her intentions and her mind. She stood her ground and so did they for longer than it was necessary - even the commentator made a joke about both of them falling asleep with their games on.

That made the girl sigh and grit her teeth; she surely didn’t have forever to end that match and she was tired, insanely angry about the prospect of having to move the next day and itching for a chance to let out her fury by beating her archenemy once and for all.

Her mistake was letting emotion get away with her once more, even though this time it wasn’t the usual confidence about that being the occasion in which she would get gold again, but all of the fury of having this person challenging her in such a way, in such a night. So all her plans of playing more carefully were thrown aside the next second and, before someone could actually force either of them to move, she approached her enemy and aimed a charged kick on them - only to be immediately countered and sent flying.

_Ouch._ That sure wasn’t good, even more so when the Ashen Demon followed that up with a downward kick and an up punch. Their assault on her was relentless this time and didn’t even allow her time to change and adapt, to put some distance between them and get some sort of response or defense up. Edelgard frowned, muttered a string of “no no no no no” when she saw the same thing that always happened at tourney finals repeat itself, no matter the approach that she took to it. 

And always when she was facing the same opponent, which made everything doubly frustrating. 

In less than two minutes the match was over and she was out, just typing a hasty “great game, congrats” on her console screen before disconnecting from both the online event and the game itself. She was numb when she lay down on the floor and stared at the ceiling, white with golden details here and there, a beautiful candelabrum with rubies on the sides of its six lamps, making the walls shine a soothing red when the light hit the stones. 

Now there she was, a loser again and not only on the game that her parents had produced and she adored, but also in regards to the place she had called home for seventeen years. She would never forgive the Ashen Demon for taking away the satisfaction of letting her win at least once, at least then when she needed something to feel good about, some sense of familiarity a few hours before she could embark in very unfamiliar territory. 

The next day she would be at Garreg Mach, the biggest city in Fódlan and the place where most gaming tournaments took place. The next Monday she would start in a new school, Garreg Mach High, and she would be just another girl on her way to graduating next year. In a new house, with new people around her and nothing known, nothing that would be worthy of calling home.

As those thoughts came and went, she closed her eyes and fought against tears, thinking how ridiculous it was that a seventeen-year-old was crying because she had lost a game. Yes, she thought, furiously rubbing her eyes, it was a good thing no one knew who was behind the Flame Emperor persona. If they knew, she would more than likely be ridiculed by it anyways. 

* * *

In a smaller house, thousands of kilometers away from Enbarr as well, a much happier girl also lay down on the floor and stared up at her darkened ceiling, one that was shining with small plastic stars of every size and shape. There was a smile on her lips and the taste of victory in her mouth, as sweet as the soda she had been consuming throughout that tourney. And yes, it was only a friendly one, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t feeling any less accomplished. 

After all, Byleth had indeed just beat the famous Flame Emperor again. That made it what, the… thirteenth time she had done so? Which was an amazing feat given how good they were, how they had dominated the scene until Byleth stepped in and decided she would take the Fokken championship by surprise and show everyone she - or rather, the Ashen Demon - was a force to be reckoned with. 

She had always been good at games and loved them, even though that was a well-kept secret that would never, never see the light of day. No, her friends at school couldn’t know about that either, she had a reputation to keep. And was it really that bad if she had to keep a double life anyways?

Sure, some of her colleagues were gamers and open about it, to the point that they would more than likely be gushing about the Ashen Demon’s victory on Monday, but still. She would feign not knowing anything about the entire matter and say she had spent her weekend reading and redoing her homework, or cooking for her twin brother just like she always did. 

Byleth Eisner had a name to keep and a reputation to owe at Garreg Mach High. She would not let her life as a gamer, avid graphic novel reader and cartoon watcher be uncovered no matter the cost.

Even if that meant enjoying her glory in silence, in the peace and quiet of her room. Sighing in relief and joy at beating that little kid to death yet again in her favorite game, she rolled on the carpet and slowly got to a sitting position, then picked up the family-sized bag of chips she had called dinner and ate the rest of it, only to wash it down with some more soda. The whole thing brought a smile to her lips, especially when she could almost hear her brother complaining about her eating habits.

But in any case there it was, the sweet, sweet taste of a Saturday well-spent and a well-earned victory. She looked at the old TV screen one more time before turning off her console and placed the headphones beside the simple, lilac cushion she had been sitting on for the last five hours. What a tourney it had been - and Dorothea had come pretty far at it, too, getting third place as well. For a second she wished she could formally congratulate her classmate, but that would mean she would expose herself and that was not good at all. 

In the end, after she went downstairs and crept past her twin brother sleeping on the dinner table, face covered with charts and other graphs necessary for college and work, then into the kitchen to silently snatch another slice of triple chocolate cake, she decided she could always hoot at the Singer with her Ashen Demon account. That would show support and never involve her other self, the one those at school were familiar with.

Once she was back in her room, then turned on the lights and disregarded the mess of books and graphic novels around and over her bed, she grabbed her phone and plopped herself down on the floor again. After a very generous forkful of cake had made its way into her mouth and she sighed at how good it was, she opened Hooter and started reading the messages with the tag FokkenFriendsTourney.

_“The Flame Emperor is terrible, what is going on with them? My 3 yo sib could’ve countered that.”_

_“They used to be too good but now the Flame Emperor is more like the Dead Emperor, smh.”_

_“Bro hope they don’t show up again in a championship so soon. Ashen just destroyed them. I’d be humiliated to show my face after that.”_

_“Flame Emperor? Pfff Lame Emperor.”_

On and on it went, to the point that Byleth almost forgot why she had clicked on the Hooter app to begin with and couldn’t stop laughing at those livehoots of their match. A part of her wished the actual Flame Emperor wouldn’t read those things, as people could be mean and cruel like that and honestly, they hadn’t played _that_ bad, just a bit predictable. She skimmed through some more of those, others that praised the Ashen Demon to the nines and typed in a hoot to the Singer, congratulating her for her efforts and for doing so much better than last season. It was instantly liked and rehooted, so it would more than likely draw some attention to Dorothea too. 

She got another fork of the dessert into her mouth, a celebration for a job well done in gaming and for finding a good solution to support her friend. Then she just kept eating, her eyes roaming through the night which unfurled outside of her window with its myriad stars and the full moon above it all.

As Byleth ended her cake and went back to staring at the pretty, silver and white app, she considered typing in one more message before going to bed and spending the rest of the night with her favorite graphic novel instead of more gaming, since her hands did need some rest after all those fights.

In the end she did, turned her phone off as soon as she tucked herself under comfortable blue blankets and grabbed the latest edition of her favorite series ever.

_“Hey, Flames, don’t mind these ppl. You did great and it’s always cool to fight ya. GG!”_

She only hoped that would help counteract the hate the poor Flame Emperor had gotten in all those hoots before. But well, there was nothing more she could do, right? Opening her novel, she let her eyes wander across the pretty pictures and skimmed through text, beaming to herself and humming at another amazing victory.


	2. Garreg Mach High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Edelgard's first day at the new school and things don't go well from the moment she leaves home.   
> After arriving late, she gets to meet three very interesting, different girls that not only show her around, but try helping her as much as they can.

The first thing that had caught Edelgard’s attention the second she spotted Garreg Mach from the back of a limousine was how the city was indeed deep in the Oghma mountains. No matter where one looked, there was a stretch of rock or the sight of a peak reaching towards the sky either near or far, a speck of brown or silver standing against the blue sky. The city was full of ups and downs which scared her when the driver passed through those streets, a contrast to how Enbarr was always plain and had no slopes at all. The lakes they had passed here and there were wide when compared to the canals that run through the Adrestian capital, the place that had seen her and her ten siblings grow up.

Sure, so the city was indeed considered the true heart of Fódlan, within reason given its historical importance and how it had built itself as a cultural center of sorts. Knowing and seeing what it was all about were two different things and it still shocked Edelgard when she had found out that Garreg Mach had more bus lines, shopping malls, banks and even cafés than Enbarr. That didn’t make her warm up to the new place at all - or to the bigger mansion her family had been given by the company, as her parents and older siblings were now supervising Hresvelg Gaming Co. newest branch in that city - but it was a start.

Since they had spent a not-so-lazy Sunday unpacking and making sure at least the essentials were completely organized for Monday, they were unable to go out on a stroll or another car trip around the city, meaning everything was still new to them. Her curiosity at getting to walk through that place, and the fact that Edelgard would rather die than arrive at her new school in the family’s crimson and golden limousine on her first day there, made the teen proudly declare that she’d like to better exercise her independence and was going to take the bus to school instead. 

That was said at their traditional Sunday dinner, with the entire family sharing a ridiculously long table and politely taking turns to speak or else it would become a pandemonium. To say that was received by a choir of laughter would be an understatement, even more so when Fiona, who was one year younger than her and would also attend Garreg Mach High, seemed to have too much fun on her expense. 

In any case they were supportive of her decision, even though more than a few concerned stares were thrown her way, with reasons that she herself understood. That didn’t stop her from trying and, as expected by some family members and a huge part of Edelgard’s mind, she found herself completely lost on her first time stepping out of the mansion indeed.

So much for exercising some independence and dodging an awkward bullet.

The red brick mansion was located in the outskirts of the city alongside other houses of the same size, too close to a river and a cliff for comfort. According to the map Edelgard had searched, memorized and taken notes of, all she had to do was go down from the house, turn left on the first intersection and board bus number 666420-B, line “Airport - City Portal”. And so she did, grateful her neighborhood wasn’t far away from a bus point to begin with, in a clear morning that was a tad too cold for her already. At least that gave her some excuse to put on her favorite, lucky red blazer over what she considered the hideous school uniform, a white button up shirt with long sleeves over a knee-length, black pleated skirt with some golden details embroidered in it, plus long socks that ended just under her knees and doll-like black shoes.

Her brown hair hung loose over her shoulders, dancing in the slight breeze as she walked, lilac eyes unfocused and trying to absorb everything around her. She knew she was the epitome of a tourist, looking everywhere at the residential street and the small commercial one that housed the bus stop she was supposed to be at.

What called her attention the most was how every place seemed to have a lot of trees and some gardens, be it in front or between stores, on the rooftop of some buildings and in roundabouts in the middle of the road. Enbarr, albeit a lot plainer and easy to walk on, had been a lot greyer in a sense and had only a few parks to boast of when it came to nature - the change was visible and not as unwelcome as she had thought it would be. 

Because everything was new and ended up distracting her, plus the fact that she was somewhat sleepy since the stark natural light had had the audacity to go through the heavy drapes in her room and wake her up at 4am, she ended up on a daydream, wondering about how school would be like and so on. That was why she missed the first two busses that passed through the street and she only noticed it was the case when the second one was already halfway through the street, too far and too fast for her to chase after it to begin with. 

She cursed, glanced at her mobile for the time and felt her heart rate spike. She had less than forty-five minutes to class and, unless some miracle happened and another bus arrived shortly after that she would be -

There was a smile on her face when she glanced up and saw a blue bus pull over, as a woman with blonde hair signaled for it. A very quick glance at the number plate and line revealed it was exactly the one needed, so she almost hopped into the vehicle and took a seat in the far back, relieved that she wasn’t as screwed as she had thought before. 

The bus wasn’t as full as the ones she had taken or spotted in Enbarr, too. Another thing she had noticed about Garreg Mach was how most people went everywhere in their bikes, making the streets a lot less cluttered and easier for the few cars to cruise by. The same happened to the bus; she was indeed delighted at how fast it was moving, the foreign landscape passing by her window in a rivulet of blues, reds and yellows that made up the houses and closed stores around the city, framed by the browns of the mountain, the greys of the pavement, the greens of vegetation and the stark cerulean of the sky. 

She was more impressed that she had thought she'd be by how bright and lively everything was. It was completely the opposite of what she thought a city as big and famous as Garreg Mach would look like, or how life would be like in that place. Her gaze was lost in the lack of tall buildings and the streak of children who walked and pedalled to their own schools, wearing uniforms that weren’t at all like hers.

Uniforms that weren’t at all like hers. Wait a second…

Her eyes shot up in surprise at that realization and she fumbled in her black backpack, looking for the notes she had taken the day before. Had a huge supermarket across the street from a weird monument in the shape of a dragon ever been mentioned? She didn’t think so, there was nothing written there and she would remember something like that, too. Which could only mean -

“Excuse me, Miss, are you going to Garreg Mach High?”

Edelgard turned to look at who said it and noticed it was a woman with purple hair that had boarded a few stops ago. She had sat beside the blonde that had signalled for the bus to stop when Edelgard got in. Her eyes were also purple and very serious, her tone even, although there was a small smile on her lips. She was dressed very interestingly too, in a black blouse and leggings that showed off how muscular she was. Her amused face betrayed some sternness, though none of it was directed at Edelgard at the moment.

“Y-yes, do you happen to know which stop should I get off on? Have I missed it?” The girl inquired, a bit nervous since the woman’s smile faded and turned into a grin. 

“Well, you’re in the wrong bus. This is 669420-B, Downtown - Airport. The one you’re looking for is 666420-B. Hey, don’t worry, you’re not the first one to make that mistake, seen plenty of people with that uniform here too,” the blonde added with a small, condescending smile. “You gotta go down on the next stop, cross the street and get into your actual bus.”

Tears stung in Edelgard’s eyes as she thanked the two strangers and sprung to her feet, almost dashing out of the bus and to where they had told her to go, well aware of the fact that the women had been guffawing at her all that time. 

So much for not making a grand entrance in a limousine, but actually by being terribly late for her first day of class. 

* * *

Edelgard had tried distracting herself through the rest of the (actual) trip, but it had been a mistake to get her phone since the clock kept reminding her of how late she would be once she arrived in the building itself. Scrolling through Hooter was an equal waste of time and patience, as she, or rather, the Flame Emperor was still getting some hate over the finals match on Saturday. And there was the accursed message from the damned Ashen Demon as well to make everything worse, how it had gotten way too many likes and comments on how nice they were. 

In the end she had huffed, almost thrown her mobile inside her backpack and tried soothing herself with the landscape again, to no avail. She was seething over the tourney, on how Fiona and Dana, the sister who was two years older than her but a kid at heart, had laughed once they saw playbacks of her match, only to hug and solace her a few seconds later, when she scowled a tad too hard at them. 

Without any distractions and only her hatred over being late fueling her, she was able to get off on the right stop and simply fly through the already empty school entrance, her mind rushing even faster than her feet could, barely registering the several times she stumbled on her way through ancient, stony buildings, through floors and hallways until she finally arrived at where she had been told to go a few days ago, when she had called asking for directions. 

It was no surprise that all doors were closed in the pristine, white walled corridor, and that Edelgard was the only student outside of the classroom. Her heart beat in triple time in anticipation and the fact that she had indeed failed to arrive without making some sort of scene. Now she would have to parade in front of those people she had never seen before and…

She took a deep breath, stopping that trail of thoughts and deciding it was better to get it over with. Worse than her being scrutinized by her new classmates was her arriving in the middle of an explanation and losing a part of the subject, then having to ask someone for notes over what she had missed. With that in mind she rolled her ankles, realizing she must have misstepped somewhere along the way since they hurt a bit, and knocked on the door before pulling it open.

The moment she did, over twenty pairs of eyes turned to look in her direction and she froze, trying to stare straight at the professor and failing. The man had the same puzzled expression that the rest of the class had, his grey, bushy eyebrows shot in an arc and the monocle on his right eye almost falling due to that. His expression remained like so for a second and she hung there, unsure about what to do, until he made a hasty motion for her to come in and close the door, then said:

“Are you lost? This is the third year class, the first year one is two floors below,” he offered, somewhat helpful and a bit patronizing. 

Everything about his tone, his demeanor and what he had implied with that made anger course through her body and pool in her cheeks, turning them a dark shade of red already. What a way for her to be welcomed to the new school, with a stupid remark based on her height. It wasn’t the first time a professor had mistaken what year she was in due to that, but even so. 

“So this is my classroom, then,” she replied, trying to sound as if his words had meant nothing. The way her voice trembled and how long it took her to reply attested quite the contrary. “Apologies for my tardiness, I’m -”

“Ah! The new student, I presume?” He exclaimed, then grimaced at his earlier mistake. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by that.” That didn’t mean the students weren’t tittering, though, and still looking at the newcomer with more interest than before. “I’m Professor Hanneman but please, allow me to properly introduce you to the class.”

He turned around and motioned for her to do the same, which she complied even if her cheeks were burning with embarrassment at everything so far. “Everyone, this is Edelgard von Hresvelg, she’s a transfer student from the esteemed Wilhelm I High School in Enbarr, one of our greatest rivals when it comes to academic rewards and sports events. Please give her a warm welcome and, hm, you may sit there, with Miss Galatea.”

He pointed towards the last row of chairs to the far left of the room, right beside the huge windows that showed the world outside the school. Edelgard nodded and tried to smile at her classmates, especially at the girl he had referred to, a blonde with a very beautiful loose braid and emerald green eyes, the only one who didn’t have a seatmate. What with how long the desks were, they allowed for two people to share them and so it was, an arrangement that surprised her since they weren’t in kindergarten anymore. 

Regardless, she made her way through the cramped room, through all the rows of gawks and whispers until she was beside the blonde, who stared wide-eyed at her before looking away at the landscape beside them. Edelgard sat down and placed her bag on the table, unceremoniously. Had she already done something wrong?

“Don’t mind her, Ingrid’s a tad shy,” the girl in front of her, a brunette with chestnut hair spilling in beautiful waves which framed her face, turned around and said as Hanneman returned to his lecture and Edelgard moved as fast as she could, taking out her notebook and pen. 

“Dorothea!” Ingrid, the blonde, said at last, eyeing her friend with disbelief. She slowly turned to face the newcomer after that and focused at a point beyond her head. “I- hm, welcome to the school. If you want my notes so far, here they are.” She forcefully shoved her own notebook sideways, almost knocking Edelgard’s over the edge of the long table.

“There there, you’re going to scare her away like that, my Ingrid. You should know better than to do that if you wanna talk to a cute girl,” Dorothea said, winking at Edelgard and beaming once both girls turned crimson at that remark.

“The two of you will certainly overwhelm her like that,” another voice said and they stopped to watch as a mane of fluffy blue hair who was sitting beside Dorothea turned around, then fixed gentle cornflower blue eyes on Edelgard. 

Her expression was equally soft and welcome, a lot calmer than the other two girls’. It made El feel a lot safer and grounded, even more after everything that had transpired in her day so far (although it was only beginning) and she found herself breathing easier for the first time in the last few days. 

“Please don’t mind them at all and let me know if they keep distracting you. I always tell them not to speak during class but oh well,” she sighed, shrugging in defeat. “Anyways, I’m the class president and my name is Byleth. If you need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask me.” Here she smiled and the gesture was sweet, almost as if she understood that the newcomer had been through a lot already and needed a break. “Welcome to Garreg Mach High, Edelgard.”

“Th-Thank you, really. And thank you for the notes as well, Ingrid,” she added, gracing her table partner with a small beam and finally opening her own black notebook, then copying what she had already lost that morning due to her being twenty minutes late.

That was how she missed the blonde fidgeting with the hem of her shirt and looking towards the mountains again, or the way Dorothea giggled at her and Byleth shook her head, then softly told them to pay attention to the class. 

Calculus was Edelgard’s favorite and best subject, so she didn’t need to be told twice and quickly handed the notebook back to Ingrid before solving the equations that professor Hanneman was scribbling on the blackboard. She smiled once she realized the students at Garreg Mach High were a bit behind in relation to her, since she had gone through polynomials months ago back in Enbarr. Albeit it was a bit boring to have to learn them again, and all that would come after that, at least it was something familiar and would help her ease into the new school routine. 

It was no surprise when she was the first to finish the problems - or so she had thought, since a glance to the table in front of hers revealed that Byleth was already done and simply going through the extra exercises in her book already. Frowning, Edelgard picked her pristine volume from the bag and did the same, beaming in delight when she noticed Ingrid looking at her with something like awe. 

Yes, regardless of where she was on the continent, she would still be the best student in her class no matter what. And no class president with a pretty smile would beat her to it. 

Neither of them saw time passing and perhaps would have solved the entire chapter on polynomials if Hanneman hadn’t interrupted them, asking if the students were done and who’d like to solve the equations on the board. 

“Well Teach, if you ask me I think New Girl should have the honors,” a boy with unruly black hair said from the other side of the room, smirking once he caught Edelgard’s stare. 

“Claude, it’s rude to put people on the spot like th- oh,” Dorothea started saying, but was interrupted once El rose to her feet and gracefully walked to the blackboard. “Edie dear, you don’t have to, really.”

“It’s fine, I would like to try anyway.” There was a certain resolute look on her face the moment she picked up a piece of white chalk and started writing her response to the hardest equation, as fast as she could.

No hesitation could be seen while she wrote, the numbers flowing just as they always had and giving her a peace of mind that only maths could bring. She was aware of how many people hated it, but that wasn’t her case at all. It grounded her, gave logic and a pace to her thoughts when they were too frantic, too keen on spiralling out of control. No wonder she had solved some equations all the way from Enbarr to Garreg Mach in order to distract herself from the move, the lost tourney and all the awful messages she had gotten at Hooter too. 

The moment she was done, Edelgard placed the chalk back on its place and wiped her hands, a satisfied expression on her face. She turned to find the entire class gaping at her, as if she had done a feat, and even the professor seemed to be impressed with her agility and clear thinking. That was something she was familiar with, that she could get more of in this new school.

“That is correct indeed, Miss Hresvelg. I assume you have seen this before in Wilhelm I?” Hanneman inquired, getting closer to the board and noticing her way to solve the problem. Her logic was pristine, a lot more elaborate and clear than what he was used to teaching, thus he grabbed a pen and decided to show the rest of the class how they could go about that. “You see, here when she -”

“Professor, I have a question.”

Everyone turned to look at Byleth, who was frowning as if she had eaten something particularly bad, or that she disagreed with. Once he had nodded at her to proceed, she got up and stood beside Edelgard, looking at the solution until she found what had caught her attention. “Oh, here it is. Shouldn’t this be a minus instead of a plus? Since you know, the row before you multiplied everything by -1 to make the two sides of the equation even?”

There was a heavy silence while Hanneman and Edelgard took a better look at the exact portion that Byleth was referring to and analyzed it - not that it was really needed. The moment the class president pointed it out, Edelgard realized it was actually the case and it had messed up the rest of the problem, as it always happened with those minor details in math. 

“Splendid, Miss Eisner, I myself didn’t notice that in my own solutions. Which means it has to be redone from this part on and the answer will be different from the one I have,” Hanneman mused, though he figured he shouldn’t be that impressed to begin with. Byleth was the class president for a reason. “You always surprise me.”

“If you allow me, I can keep solving this from where she made that mistake,” Byleth suggested, already with a piece of chalk in hand. Then she turned to Edelgard and added: “You did great, though, don’t stress about something so minor.”

To say that Edelgard went back to her seat as furious as if she had been told by a child that she was no good at maths would be the understatement of the year. She watched with an equal parts bored and angry expression while Byleth erased what she had written and not only solved the problem the right way, but also explained it to the class as if she were a teacher.

“She’s right, you did really good there,” Ingrid said, noticing her table mate was a little bit tense. “Byleth is something else, though, always so smart and everything.”

“Is she, now?” Edelgard queried, unable to look away from the blackboard or tune out the class president’s voice. 

“Totally,” Dorothea added, turning around to address them. "She's an absolute genius and always gets top grades. Also, she's always been like that too." She sighed, as if in admiration. "She must study a lot every day, but even so."

"That's true. So please don't feel bad about it, the fact that you know this stupid subject is already a freaking miracle," Ingrid mumbled, erasing everything she had done and copying the solution that Byleth had just finished writing down. 

Again, that didn't stop Edelgard from being angry at her own self for that stupid error - and the way she had been called out in front of everyone else, either. There went her chance to make a grand appearance at this new school and to be regarded as a good student too. Sighing, she shook her head and decided that wouldn't be it. She wouldn't back down and give up on the war only because she had lost the first battle. 

As Byleth made her way back to her seat and beamed at her, El retributed that with a small smirk, the challenge sparkling clearly in her lilac eyes. Oh, it was on. It was so on. 

* * *

It was so boring, too. 

After maths they had other classes which Edelgard simply zoned through. She had already studied all of that before and couldn’t believe that Garreg Mach High was Wilhelm I’s main enemy when it came to academics, such as professor Hanneman had said in the first period. They were at least three months behind in comparison and even their curriculum was a lot shallower in a sense. 

They had a different system too, it seemed, where everyone in the same year had the same classes and the teachers were the ones to change rooms when the bell rang. Meaning she was extra bored for the simple fact they had no time between periods to stretch and walk around at all. As a result, she was extremely sore, sleepy and painful from sitting still the moment they had a break and were finally allowed outside. 

“Come with us, Edie! Next period is PE, so you should get your uniform and your snack too, we usually go straight to the sports field,” Dorothea informed her, holding her wrist and tugging softly the moment she gingerly got up. 

Oh great, she thought while nodding. As if that day couldn’t get any better, now she was supposed to show up to PE too? 

“W-wait, everybody has to take that class?” Edelgard queried, well-aware that Byleth was giggling at her shock and Ingrid was eyeing her with curiosity. She fumbled on her bag for the food she could swear she had packed the day before, but came up empty and, after a sigh of self-hatred at that, picked up her wallet instead. “I don’t even have the uniform to begin with.”

“Yeah, everybody plays together and it’s really fun,” Ingrid answered with a smile, already anticipating the moment she’d be on the court again. It was way better than being in the classroom anyways. “Don’t worry about the uniform though, I’m sure professor Ladislava will give you a new one, but what’s with the wallet?”

“I seem to have forgotten my snack - and my lunch, too,” she shook her head, rubbed her temples in exasperation. As if waking up too early, taking the wrong bus and getting late to class hadn’t been enough. “Could you show me where the cafeteria is, please?”

“I seriously advise you not to have anything from there, not even a harmless-looking sandwich,” Byleth cut in, a neatly tied, indigo-blue bundle on her right hand. “We call the cafeteria the caf-ew-teria for a reason.”

They left the room at last, after Edelgard balled her hands into fists due to frustration and placed her wallet back in her pack again. Dorothea patted her shoulders as if to appease her, then laced her arm with the smaller girl’s and said: “Aw don’t worry, I’ll share some food with you.”

“I don’t see any food on you though, Dorothea,” Byleth cut in, causing the other two to laugh once they were at the pristine white corridor from before, now teeming with people from different years talking over each other at once. “I’ll be more than happy to share mine, though. I always bring more than the necessary in case someone forgets theirs.”

Edelgard didn't know what exactly got on her nerves first. Maybe it was how overwhelmed she was feeling, since back at her older school nobody had the same classes and break schedules all the time and, as such, there wasn’t such a traffic and cacophony in the hallways at all. Maybe it was how sore she was feeling from sitting still for too long, without any breaks between classes she had already learned and that had almost lulled her to sleep. Or maybe it was that stupid, almost patronizing smile on Byleth’s face, the one that seemed to be there whenever the girl as much as looked at her. 

Or how perfect she seemed to be, always knowing what to answer, what to say, what to do and how to “help” if someone was in trouble (like packing an extra snack, who in their right minds would even do that?)

In any case, the shorter girl averted her eyes from that helpful gaze and uttered in a voice that was way more stern than she had intended at first: “I’m not hungry, but thanks for the offer.”

She had one second to wonder if her irritation hadn’t crossed a line, since all that Byleth had done so far was try to help her, but then relaxed when the other girl shrugged, opened her bundle and proceeded to devour what looked like a fish dumpling or something of the sort. 

“Anyways, are you enjoying Garreg Mach so far? What made you move to begin with, in the middle of the school year no less? Where do you live? Are you planning on taking any extracurriculars?” Dorothea inquired, giving her no time to answer and making a grimace settle on her face.

“Easy there, Dorothea, you’ll get little Miss Hresvelg all worked up with your interrogations,” Byleth stepped in, then internally smirked when she noticed both Ingrid and Thea finally making the connection she had the moment professor Hanneman introduced her to the class.

“Hey, I’m not little and -”

“Hresvelg?” The blonde asked, almost choking on her triple cheese and meat sandwich that looked more like a meal than an actual snack. “As in,  _ the  _ Hresvelg Company that made Fokken?”

Ah, there it was. Edelgard had wondered how long it would take before someone asked that question and started talking about games, or that game in particular. Her chance of remaining unjudged due to her parents’ work had been ruined faster than a sudden death match on finals. 

“Y-yes, that Hresvelg,” she admitted, glancing away as she blushed due to the intense, enchanted stares she got from two out of three girls - and a chuckle from the last one. 

“I love that game so much! I mean, I- I’m terrible at it and all, but still, it’s so good.” That was the longest that Ingrid had said in that day, at least while Edelgard was around, and the flush in her cheeks got stronger too. It was almost as if she were face to face with a celebrity, in a sense. “Dorothea is actually really good -”

“Oh, my Ingrid, that’s not the case at all. The Flame Emperor still defeated me so fast that last tourney, I’m upset at that,” Thea replied and was intrigued at how fast those words piqued Edelgard’s interest “Did you watch that last friendly tournament? I went all the way to the semifinals, but then bam, I was out almost three seconds into the second game.”

Semifinals? Wouldn’t that make her the Singer, then? The shorter girl had to stop herself from widening her eyes in surprise or making any mention to the game, the championship or the fact that yes, she knew exactly what match she was talking about. El had been the one to eliminate Dorothea, after all. 

“Hm, apologies but I don’t play, nor watch anything related to videogames,” she replied in a neutral tone, almost chuckling at the wide-eyed glances she got from the other two. 

“How can you not? Fokken is a national passion and your family is literally responsible for its existence!”

“Well, I’m sure Edelgard has other interests even if her parents work in the gaming industry,” Byleth finally piped in, giving the smaller girl another one of those beams. Why did she keep doing that? It was annoying to say the least. “Don’t mind these two, they go crazy once they start talking about that… Fekken? Focan? Ah, Fokken. I don’t care about it either, so there you go. No offense.” 

“None taken.”

Yet the rest of break was spent talking about it, about the latest competition and how Dorothea (who indeed admitted to be Singer) had demolished Ingrid (aka PegasusKnight) and many others before being stopped by the Flame Emperor. It was tough to keep staring straight ahead and trying not to react when they started dissecting the finals match and the way the Ashen Demon simply dominated the games. 

Strangely enough, by the time that became the subject Byleth had a little smirk on her face, but maybe it was because she had been saluted by every person in the entire school on their way to the building where the court was hosted. In any case, it wasn't El's business and she merely huffed at it.

Since Edelgard had been on a sort of headtrip through the path they took, she had failed to notice how big the school was, how many different buildings made in the same silvery stone there were and how they were allotted around a gentle mountain slope, with a rocky wall to their right and another on the back. Yet that was the view she had when they finally went into the court, a rather big one with smooth, blue floor and an arched ceiling since it was an indoor one, but instead of walls that isolated it from the outside world, there were pillars here and there and metal chains linking them together. 

That per se was enough to make Edelgard gulp, even more so since it was located almost in the middle of the entire school grounds. Meaning there were always people of all ages coming and going around it.

Meaning there was a high chance each and all of her mistakes in PE would be watched not only by her class, but by whoever was walking around too.

The moment the bell rang again she knew her nightmare was about to begin. For one, her stomach was rumbling since she hadn’t eaten anything - and yes, she had been hungry when Byleth offered her food, but she wouldn’t take anything from Miss Perfect Class President. Second, all of her classmates were there and rushing to the end of the court, where she spotted restrooms and dressing rooms, their enthusiasm blatant and hard to ignore whereas fear had completely taken over her, even more so when a woman with light brown hair in a ornate bun and pink eyes looked sternly at her and proceeded to shove a silver and green uniform in her arms before she could say something. 

Nevertheless, Edelgard lingered and waited for most of her peers to get out and start playing with some balls already, their yells ringing through the court and already announcing her demise. Some would think she was being too dramatic and even El herself questioned if that wasn’t the case, while she got changed as slowly as she could once the dressing rooms were empty. However, she had more than her fair share of scars pretty much everywhere to attest that she wasn’t good at sports. No, scratch that. She and sports shouldn’t mingle at all and whenever they were forced to, the resulting mixture spelled disaster for her.

There was no way out of that, though, at least not on her first day. Maybe her classmates and the coach would leave her alone the moment they realized how bad at it she was, just as every PE teacher had back in Wilhelm I. There was just so much patience one could have when dealing with someone who clearly wasn’t cut for sports of physical activity in general.

Now the question was how long it would take until Ladislava and the other students realized she should not be in the court with them, and if she would be alive when they got to that conclusion. Once they lined up on it, divided in two teams - Edelgard had been instantly adopted by Byleth’s team, where Dorothea also was - and she was informed that they were playing handball for the rest of that month, she knew impending disaster was a whistle blow away.

Only to be completely proven right the moment Byleth, the team captain, got the ball and launched it to her along with an unnerving smile that made Edelgard so mad, she missed the ball making its way to her face instead of her hands. She yelped when it hit her and even more so when someone from the opposite team pushed her aside in order to get hold of the damn ball. 

Of course the next thing that happened was that she fell on her arm, not because the person had used too much strength when pushing her, but because that was who she was. What was it that the other kids used to call her when she was little and almost forced to participate in PE? Ah yes, Edelgard von Klutzvelg.

Ladislava blew the whistle again to stop the match and Byleth was there before the professor could. Edelgard had rolled to sit on the floor and was massaging her forearm when a solicitous hand made its way to her shoulder and she looked up, grimacing in more than just pain when those concerned cornflower blue irises touched hers. 

“Are you ok? I’m sorry, I’m awful at aiming and all,” the class president said, a bit sheepish, then turned to ogle at the tall guy who had stopped beside them as well. “Dimitri, there was no need for that.”

“I- I didn’t even -” he protested, electric blue eyes wide in shock.

“It wasn’t him,” Edelgard nodded along, ignoring the hand that was extended towards her and getting up on her own. “I’m just terrible at sports.” She faced the professor, who had watched the entire thing, and added: “May I be excused? You have better things to do than watch this happening again and again.”

For a heartbeat or two there was only silence and she wondered if she had spoken out of line towards a superior. But in all honesty, did they need any more reason to bench her for the rest of the semester?

“No, you cannot.” The professor’s soft voice was a surprise, even more than her words. She had taken Ladislava to be cross, yet it sounded nothing but. “I’ve seen plenty of people like you, Miss Hresvelg, who have unfortunately been excluded from class because they think they aren’t good. I don’t know it was how things were done in your old school, but we have a policy here to include everyone in Physical Education. 

“Please don’t think any less of yourself because you couldn’t get a pass on your first try,” the woman smiled, encouragingly squeezing her shoulders. “Let’s restart and please let me know if you need anything.”

Wait, what? Had she just misunderstood everything and would make Edelgard play for then on? For the entire month, no, the entire semester?

She had no time to think about any of it even if her heart sped up in a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. Soon the game began again and Byleth made a point to get closer to El before attempting another pass, only for her to trip on her own feet, scramble at the ball and let it drop right on Ingrid’s hand. The blonde, who was on the opposite team and had redone her braid to make it closer to her scalp, beamed at her and dashed to their side of the goal, then scored beautifully as well.

A second later the ball was in her hand again and in her panic she passed it to Byleth, who gracefully ran, dodged opponents, threw it to other friends and so on, only to get it back at the last second and score in their favor, a clear retaliation. She was smiling, even more so once she noticed El staring and wondering at how that girl could run like the wind and have such a natural lightness to her movements, such precision on her passes and dexterity to her every step.

In any case, that scenario repeated itself on and on. The next half an hour was spent in what Edelgard would probably call hell on Earth. She stumbled and fell, lost the ball the moment it was handled to her and froze in place once she caught it, unsure of where to go since there were opponents on all sides (in the end a tall guy with blue hair stuck in a bun tackled her and took the ball, muttering something under his breath about it).

Right at the last play of the game, before the bell rang, the same boy approached Edelgard again since someone had been foolish enough to pass her the ball (probably Dorothea) and feinted around her, only to push her down and grab the ball from her hands while Ladislava whistled for what felt like the hundredth time in that match. 

“What? It’s not my fault she’s that bad,” the guy said, rolling his eyes while Edelgard winced and rubbed her knees.

She would surely have more scars to show after that day. She didn’t even know what was hurting the most in that moment; it was as if her entire body was pulsing in pain at all the falls and pushes she had taken. And her cheeks were more than likely humming with a blush, not as much due to the exertion but to her awful display throughout the class. 

“Well Felix, it’s not our fault you’re bad at Chemistry, but that doesn’t stop us from helping you when you ask.” 

Byleth’s voice rang through the court, almost louder than the bell that had sounded a few seconds ago, inviting giggles and whispers. The class president had taken an almost defensive stance in front of Edelgard, hands on her hips and body tense. From her vantage point and even though some disheveled brown hair had made its way to her eyes, El watched as Felix seemed to shrink and look pained at that. Her face got redder than before; she was unused to being the reason why such a scene was happening to begin with. 

Of course, all would have been avoided if the teacher had actually listened to her instead of drawing conclusions like that. 

“Ok you two, stop that. Fraldarius, it might do well for you to remember this isn’t an actual game and if you want to play competitively, then the handball team is always open for new members. This is a class and everyone’s supposed to take part, no matter their skill level,” Ladislava said while approaching Byleth and Felix, smiling once her eyes fell upon Edelgard. “Class dismissed, but do think about that, everybody. I’ll not tolerate someone not having a shot at sports at my class.”

There were nods and shuffles once the students went back to the dressing rooms in order to change or take a shower before going back to their classroom. Byleth grunted, her eyes narrowed as she watched Felix retreat, then let them melt into a kind smile the moment she turned to look at Edelgard, who was trying to get to her feet despite the pain in her legs.

“Oh hey, you’re bleeding,” Byleth exclaimed in surprise once she saw blood trickling down her knee from an open gash. “I’ll take you to the infirmary and get that tended to.”

Of course Miss Class President and Athlete Extraordinaire was also Nurse’s Assistant. It shouldn’t even surprise Edelgard by that point but it kind of did even so. Was there anything Byleth couldn’t do? Nevertheless, she shook her head and informed the girl that she knew very well how to take care of a stupid wound like that, thank you very much. 

Which of course meant that Edelgard was forced to spend the rest of the day with a pulsing, roughly washed bruise on her knee and several others on her arms, forearms and torso, where the ball had hit her a bit too forcefully once she was unable to catch it. She had been too hungry later on to refuse Byleth’s extra lunch, that she packed in case someone forgot theirs, and too downcast to answer further questions the teachers in the afternoon classes asked. Even if she knew the answers to all of them, she just gave up and watched the class president answer them all in perfection.

When lessons were finally over, El needed a moment to move from her chair and get up, gather her things and go, as she was lost in thoughts about what a terrible first day she had had. Apparently a moment was all Byleth needed, since the second Edelgard came back to herself the other girl had pulled a chair beside her and was silently bandaging her knee.

“It’s better to cover it up, you know? Infections can be really nasty,” Byleth justified, smiling at her as if that was ok. “There you go, if you arrive early tomorrow we can go to the Nurse’s Office and get that changed too.”

“Thank you,” Edelgard answered, trying to dilute the anger that spiked in her chest yet again.

A quick look around the classroom revealed that almost everyone was gone, except for the two of them and Ingrid, who lingered by the door and watched them, then averted her eyes once Edelgard realized she was looking. Had she really spaced out again?

“No worries! That’s what I’m here for. I’m sorry about Felix though, he can be a bit too much at times, especially when he loves something. But don’t listen to him, you were doing good there.”

Again, the patronizing smile, as if Byleth were her superior in any way and she was just a child trying to do something for the first time. Too furious to keep that going, or to keep herself in check, Edelgard got to her feet and picked up her bag, then marched outside as if nothing else had been said - luckily Ingrid stepped aside just in time, too. 

It was rare for Edelgard to dislike school and have a tough time like that. However, she couldn’t help but feel just that as she made her way outside, getting lost in the maze-like structure that was Garreg Mach High and almost boarding the wrong bus again once she got to the bus stop. 

But if there was something that she knew even more than the fact that she was up for some dreadful months in that place, it was how she hated Byleth Eisner and how perfect she seemed to be. All those stupid smiles, the condescending tone… she would pay for it. Edelgard would show her who was the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard being a klutz at sports, what a concept right? Well, this is a bit ooc indeed but there you go. 
> 
> These kids were just asking to be written and wouldn't leave me alone until I did xD I hope you enjoy this chapter!


	3. Four Houses, part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorothea goes to work while thinking about that strange day, her life in general and the circumstances that have brought her to Garreg Mach. 
> 
> A few days later, Byleth does the same and sees her perfect afternoon and evening getting ruined by doubts about a certain someone.

It wasn't usual for The Gaming Mug to be so crowded that early on. Usually the place received a lot more clients during the evening or later afternoon than when Dorothea arrived there after school. Since it stood in one of the biggest shopping malls, at the most central avenue in the city and that was rather close to Garreg Mach High, she usually walked there instead of having to waste some money on public transportation and took twenty minutes to go from one point to the other.

Given how bland the weather up in the mountains was, she didn’t really mind the exercise and loved how it could be used as a way to clear her mind after an entire day of classes. She kind of liked the landscape too - even though she had moved from Enbarr to Garreg Mach almost a decade ago, when Manuela had adopted her and claimed they deserved better than what the capital of Adrestia could offer, the different architecture and colors around the city never failed to amaze her. 

In a sense her life had gotten more colorful too, changing from the dull, merciless greys of an Enbarr that had watched her grow in equally hopeless orphanages to the bright hues and touches of nature that had become a staple at Garreg Mach, making an appearance even in the cheap postcards they sold in the café. She sighed after staring at those, a moment of respite while making coffee and separating a slice of lemon pie for a client that had just made an order. 

The place was done up in cream-colored walls over black tiled floors. It was a rather wide, two-story building that used the ground floor for the café itself, with around twenty square tables between the door and the counter, and had an assortment of TVs, arcade machines and cushions in several colors sprawled around on the top floor, plus a little bench to the side where a clerk exchanged coins and made sure no one overstayed their time on the consoles.

For years it had functioned as both a café and an arcade, calling in a big clientele that wanted to grab a snack on their way home or during their work/ school break, people who just needed a cup of coffee before going to their houses, high school and college students out for some studying (and mostly playing and unwinding) time and families that were more than glad to leave their kids upstairs while they could chat and enjoy some treats.

Dorothea had been working there since her first year of high school, glad they had accepted her and that she would finally be able to start helping at home with her small income. Once she received her first salary and offered a percentage to Manuela, however, the woman had affectionately shook her head, patted Dorothea’s shoulder for the thought and asked her to get one of the video games she loved so much, the ones she would work extra hours at the café in order to play for free.

That was how she got her own console, a second-hand one since she refused any help from her guardian in something that trivial, and started her love relationship with Fokken, just like the older kids that she had supervised and played against in her workplace too. 

“Lemon pie and coffee, sir,” she said once she had taken his order to one of the tables closest to the white, pristine balcony where an assortment of sweets and snacks were on full display. She had also tasted each and every single one of them and, not to be biased, but there wasn’t one thing she hadn’t adored so far.

“Ah thank you.” The young man, a newcomer since Dorothea was good with memorizing faces and could remember most of their regulars, looked at her with interested grey eyes and seemed to pay extra attention to the clothes she was wearing underneath the giant apron, the only uniform they made her wear at The Gaming Mug. “I see that you go to Garreg Mach High too. My two younger sisters just started there.”

She beamed, unsure about what to say. Not that it was unusual for clients to strike a conversation with her out of the blue, but something about his accent and even how refined he looked with his black suit and red tie, the sleek laptop standing to his left side and the dark briefcase on his right, striked her as odd. She knew she would remember someone like that even more than the rest - apparently The Gaming Mug was located very close to some big enterprises and many of those businesspeople loved their exquisite blend of carefree and gourmet.

“Have they? Well, I hope they enjoy the school then, it’s really one of the best,” she replied, trying to go for a neutral conversation even though she was wondering who that guy was referring to. 

“Yes well, one of them was really reluctant about moving but there was nothing to be done anyways,” he shrugged, the gesture at odds with how professional he looked even when doing some small talk. “But don’t mind me, I'm sure you have other clients to attend.”

Grateful for his own noticing of the situation and how almost all the tables around them were full, she gave him a small smile and went to get a harried-looking girl’s order. That didn’t mean her mind wasn’t elsewhere, even more so on the newest addition to her class, wondering if he was talking about that cute girl, Edie.

If so, Garreg Mach was probably going to get sued for making the poor kid participate in PE class and get injured on a daily basis. Dorothea grimaced once she recalled how often and easily Edelgard had fallen and performed badly in that game. After a while she was scared of passing the ball to Edie even though coach Ladislava would throw a fit if nobody did. Not that it helped - it only made everyone more awkward and worried about causing another accident. 

In the end, she mused while going behind the counter and getting a water bottle as well as the sandwich she was asked for, everything would be better if they had let Edelgard have her way and stay benched. Maybe for the rest of the school year or her school experience to be honest. No, it wasn’t that Dorothea was trying to exclude someone who deserved a shot at doing sports just everybody else did, it was just that sports were apparently a threat to that girl.

Well, to each their own, Thea thought, remembering how impressive she had been at calculus and all the other subjects too. Though she had seemed a bit downcast as the day ended, maybe because of her being late and forgetting her lunch, as well as that fiasco in PE. Still, she hoped Garreg Mach would treat her well and that she wouldn’t be left with a sour taste in her mouth because of a silly first day. Everyone made mistakes - and here Dorothea smiled and made a mental note to take an extra snack for Edie the next day as a welcome gift.

Her mind circled around that mysterious new girl and her claim to not enjoy the very games that made her family famous as she got orders and struggled a bit with change, until her friend Marianne came to work the counter and she was free to go upstairs and help with the coins for games. That was her favorite part of the day, when evening was almost there and she got to watch people playing, sometimes was even called to participate as well if the gamers knew her. 

She loved how the café wasn’t in the center of the mall, but on a wall that allowed the windows to show the outside world too. It was nice to see the lights changing, the sun going down and leaving the sky darkened and full of stars sometimes. Although she neither could nor did work for more than four hours, it was still good to see those changes and not lose touch with reality outside of the building. It had been a lovely day anyways, even more so with all those novelties and the change of routine. 

Her phone beeped a second after she waved in three kids and gave them the coins they had purchased, watching for a second as they went straight to the big, ancient arcade machines that had an archaic, equally good version of Fokken that she herself used for practice whenever she could. Usually she didn’t like checking messages during work, but for some reason she was buzzing in that day and decided it would be ok to make an exception.

_“Gosh, I think the new girl hates us.”_

She beamed once she saw Ingrid’s beautiful profile picture smiling politely at her, a contrast to how lively the blonde was at school. Dorothea always enjoyed talking to her no matter what time it was, and quickly typed in her answer before hiding the mobile underneath her counter: 

_“Why do you say that? I had to leave earlier but did you invite her to come to the café?”_

Dorothea was always in a hurry to leave Garreg Mach High once classes were done, as she hated being late for work even if it were just for a few minutes. Her boss was very chill and nice, but she was forever thankful for that opportunity and didn’t want to throw it away by getting into her nerves for small things. That was why she had asked Ingrid to invite her to pass by the café and have at least something to eat - she must be hungry after getting only half of Byleth’s food for lunch after all. 

And yes, part of the reason she had told the blonde to do that and not Byleth, outside of the fact that she knew the latter would be busy doing her myriad study sessions and whatever else she did after class, was because she had noticed Ingrid was always looking at Edelgard throughout the day and seemed very, very interested on her. 

Not that she blamed her childhood friend, the girl was indeed beautiful with those lilac eyes and light brown hair. But damn, Ingrid could be so dense at times, it was annoying. And she wanted to give her a push after all, even more since it wasn’t like the blonde would be asking for her hand. It was just a coffee and some snacks, maybe some games if Edie agreed to it. 

_“No… she just left in a hurrt and almost ran over me too :(“_ Ingrid answered right away. Dorothea looked at the time and figured that her friend was more than likely already done with volleyball practice. She was probably on her way home. _“She got real mad with Byleth bandaging her knee.”_

 _“Oh goddess, did she? The poor girl tho, she hurt herself so bad it made me want to take her home and help,”_ Dorothea typed a lot slower, splitting her glance between the kids in front of her, yelling and hooting at their scores, and the phone screen. 

_“I… think I know what you’d help her with but too scared to ask. Even so, sorry, not gonna happen today.”_

She guffawed at that response, at how so many people thought she was that much of a tease. Sure, it was fun to say things like that and have others see her as this big flirt, but it would be a lot different if someone ever tried approaching her instead. In any case, as she wondered why she felt bad at that, she typed back as per usual:

_“Well, you know what I’d help her with ;) jk jk, but nah, no worries, we can try again tomorrow or whatever. Also I don’t think she hates us or YOU in particular. Maybe just Byleth.”_

Though, truth be told, if that was the case then they would have an issue. Byleth was just a kind, amazing, caring person who used her gifts for the greater good and for helping others. Well, it didn’t take a genius to understand that Edie was probably used to being top of her class and maybe the one to show others the way, maybe aid with homework and the sorts - so perhaps the new girl had felt a bit… attacked with that. 

_“I mean think about it, isn’t easy to be the new kid and also to have someone else take her role already, eh,”_ Dorothea went on, musing, then swiftly slipped her mobile underneath the counter the moment she heard someone coming upstairs.

Even though a second later she saw that they were new customers, coming around for a round of Fokken on the main TVs since the arcades were taken, it was always better to be safe than sorry. The last thing she wanted was for her kind boss to see her ditching work. 

She ignored her mobile buzzing for the next few minutes, mesmerized by the kids’ match. A short, silver-haired girl some years younger than Dorothea was beating the hell out of her friends, two older boys that had been mocking her on their way in and saying that, since she was a girl, she was more than likely awful at video games. Thea, who had felt her blood boil over that statement, quietly beamed as she watched the little girl making them eat their words and gape at the screen the moment she won the game. 

Her character, a powerful, small mage according to old Fódlan legends, had remained untouched while those two boys had tried defeating her together. The smirk on her face was adorable and well-deserved; if Dorothea wasn’t part of the staff and supposed to only monitor them without taking sides, she would have clapped and asked for round two. 

To her delight they did play many more matches and the same thing happened again and again. She couldn’t contain a chuckle when the boys stomped away from the TV and the general arcade area, going downstairs for a snack with sullen expressions on their faces. She shared a look with the young girl and winked, a silent encouragement that was received with a shy, proud smile that warmed Thea’s heart.

A few minutes later she was discharged from work by her manager, who told her she could play some games if she was feeling like it. She beamed, grateful, and messaged Ingrid again to see if she wanted to practice some - to her disappointment, not only did her friend take a long while to answer, but when she did the only reply was a sad faced emoji. She knew exactly what that meant and typed something about Ingrid taking care of herself and being careful, then turned to ask the younger girl from before if she wanted to help her practice. 

It was a good interlude to a hectic, exciting day with too many novelties. She did learn a lot of new combos with that girl - Lysithea, she was called, and was delighted once she heard that Dorothea was actually Singer - and hopped on the bus for a quick drive home with the widest smile on her face. Petra messaged her all the while on that trip as they discussed the new girl and her mysterious, fascinating way as Garreg Mach rolled through the windows, dark, hushed and enshrouded with a mantle of darkness, a slight, chilly breeze and the shiny stars that evening had brought. 

The best part was arriving home to an embrace from her guardian, the amazing woman who had adopted her off the merciless orphanages in Enbarr so many years ago. Manuela had continued to shower her with all the love and affection she deserved, no matter how old she was. At times it made Dorothea wonder if the woman would ever see her as the adult she’d one day be, but she always ended up giggling when the former opera singer hugged her and squeezed her shoulders once she entered the house. 

“Hey there, dear,” Manuela greeted her, closing the door behind the teen and beaming. “There’s some dinner waiting at the table in case you’re hungry.”

Just the fact that someone had bothered to leave some food for her, or that she didn’t have to go hungry one night so she would have enough for a meager breakfast the next day as it had happened in her early childhood, made her heart soar with warmth and love. She took off her shoes on the entrance hall to their rather big house and marveled on how her feet sunk into the plushy crimson rug which led from the foyer to the living room, where her guardian had been waiting for her while reading a novel or another. 

And though all of that was routine, something that had repeated itself for countless days and months and years, it still made her chest feel lighter with the knowledge that there was so much love for her right there, when before she had known nothing but pain, the pain no child should have to face.

“Thank you, I’ll take you on that,” Dorothea replied with a smile and a yawn, stretching her arms before making her way around the two black couches which were to the left side and positioned around a grand TV set, a round crystal table laden with books over it. 

Her smile widened once she saw the table to her right, a big, mahogany one Manuela had gotten on a deal, hosting plates and silver cutlery in front of two out of its six seats, rather tall chairs in lighter wood. There were three trays set around it, with delicious smells coming from it already. 

For the mere observer it would seem that Manuela was an amazing chef that had prepared everything, or something of the sorts. Dorothea and her shared a laugh, knowing she had just ordered their favorite pasta, salad and dessert from the nearest restaurant an hour before Thea was usually scheduled to arrive.

That was the life they had led for a while now. Neither of them would have it any other way.

“So how was your day? You look different for some reason,” the woman asked as soon as both of them had taken a seat and were already placing food on their plates. “Oh, has Ingrid finally asked you out?”

“Oh no, the day this happens - if it ever does - you’ll have to turn off your phone cause I’ll keep messaging you about it all the time." Dorothea laughed, both astounded at how perceptive Manuela was and also the way she had always supported her no matter what. That was nice, she knew a friend or another who struggled with their parents because of stuff like that.

“I do believe it’s not a matter of _if_ , just _when_. Ingrid is a sweet girl, just give her time.” That was the advice she usually gave Thea in relation to that - or all the other crushes she had developed. “What is it, then? A good match at work?”

“There was that, too, but I’ll tell you about this later.” Dorothea took a moment to wonder how she would say it, chewing slowly and marvelling at how good the lasagna was. She loved that restaurant and Manuela for remembering her preferences too. “There’s a new girl at school,” she simply announced.

“In the middle of the semester? That’s odd, I wonder what made her change schools like that.” Manuela frowned, her forkful of food half forgotten and hanging on midair. 

She basked in the attention that she got whenever they talked, no matter how mundane her issues were. Another contrast to how in the orphanage she had been just a number, another mouth to be fed and a child to dress. Her complaints and worries had more often than not been silenced with harsh words and harsher stares. 

“Something about her parents’ company getting a new branch in Garreg Mach.” She shrugged, unsure about that part. She pretty much stopped listening after Byleth had made the connection that Edie was a Hresvelg. “Goddess, she’s so…” Her words failed and she smiled, remembering all the small things she had noticed about Edelgard already. “And Ingrid was so awkward close to her. Thing is they’re table mates now so yeah, that’ll be something.”

Manuela guffawed at what would more than likely be Ingrid’s demise, then waited until she was done chewing to ask: “And you, what did you think of her? What’s her name again?”

“Edelgard - Edie,” she beamed at the nickname, already revealing something there, something that the woman noticed. “Well, it’s too soon to say but she’s definitely mysterious and interesting. A genius and a disaster at PE, too.”

They went on talking for a while, at least until they were done eating and Dorothea recalled that her teachers had sent them some hefty amount of homework for one sole day. After washing the dishes and running to her room upstairs, a nicely sized one with a big worktable, TV and second-hand console on the right, the comfortable, inviting mattress and its red blankets to the left wall underneath the window, and the small wardrobe across from the door, she gathered her notebooks and set down to work.

Or would have, if just then she didn’t realize she’d forgotten to give Manuela part of her income, as she tried doing every single month, more than often to a failure. That wouldn’t stop her, though, nor would the hordes of equations she had to solve on polynomials for Wednesday.

She found the woman sitting on the dining table, her sleek, silver laptop open and her eyes keen on reading whatever she was researching - probably the place for another audition or a request for singing lessons, small things she did here and there to get money. Her face opened in a smile the moment Dorothea descended the stairs and stopped in front of her, hands holding something behind her back. 

“I know that look,” the woman said, dispelling the previous wonder and curiosity in her eyes in favor of a playful glance. “And I’m sure you know what I’ll say, right?”

“Manuelaaaa.” Dorothea pouted, placed her hands on her hips and showed that one of them did have some new bills on it. “Please, let me help you. You… you do too much for me already.” Guilt beat in her chest, slow and heavy, as it always did whenever they had that discussion. 

They had more than enough to get by, even though most of Dorothea’s classmates were way, way better off and she knew it, but that didn’t mean she didn’t think she should help. Manuela wasn’t even her mother to begin with, just her guardian. Just someone with the kindest soul she had ever seen, who had raised and watched over her through all those years. The least she thought she could do was offer some aid, which was tough since the woman always shook her head and told her to keep her money.

“Nope, my answer still stands,” she repeated, placed a hand on her chin for effect before adding. “Wait, wasn’t there a new thing that you wanted to get for that game you love? What is it that you call it… MC? A main character?”

Thea couldn’t keep herself from laughing at it and all the little terms she got absurdly wrong when referring to games. Sometimes those mistakes were so awful, Dorothea couldn’t help but wonder how much the woman was actually making them up. “DLC, Manuela. Downloadable Content,” she explained between giggles and watching her guardian shake her head in exasperation. “And yeah there’s a new one but the bundle is too expensive and -”

“Do you have enough for it?” As the teen nodded, she went on: “Then buy it before I find a way to get it myself. You deserve it for all the good work, dear.”

Maybe it was the gentle look she received, or the pent-up frustration from years of trying to convince that headstrong woman that she could and wanted to help (or her genuine wish for the new DLC, which promised amazing characters and some nice customization features too). Nevertheless, Dorothea sighed and threw her hands off in surrender, stomping her way upstairs until she turned around and shouted a “thank you!”

That was, before dashing to Manuela’s room and depositing the money on her favorite, sleek black purse, just as she did every month. 

She whistled on the way back to her room, making a mental note about getting the DLC as soon as she turned on her game for the night, after calculus was done with and no longer a presence looming in the back of her mind.

That night, way past their curfew, she and Ingrid went through some strategies with characters old and new, animatedly talking on voice chat and leaving behind any thoughts about the school and work day. A few nights later, in a setting such as this, she'd be asked a question that brought a smile to her lips, a fluttering to her heart and an easy answer with a lilt to her voice. 

* * *

Byleth strolled through the almost empty streets, blue jacket on the crook of her arm and a distant expression on her face. Usually she would be ecstatic to be done with lessons and get to go home in the late afternoon after volleyball practice with Ingrid, but today found her a lot more pensive than ever. 

All the way from Garreg Mach High to her home was spent thinking about that unusual beginning of the week and what had happened on it, even more so when it related to a certain new person in town. She sighed to herself as she waited for the lights to turn green, recalled their lastest interactions and how Edelgard had just continued to bolt out of the room, steps and aura exuding the anger she’d tried too hard to conceal anytime they spoke. 

And poor Ingrid had been so devastated with that, Byleth had spent most of their drills reassuring the blonde that things would be fine, how it hadn’t been her fault and Edelgard was probably having a difficult first few days - something that was stark clear since well, arriving late, forgetting meals and being beaten to death in PE didn’t sound like anyone’s idea of a welcoming committee to say the least. 

Even more so when that pattern had repeated itself through Tuesday and that Wednesday too, minus her being extremely late and leaving lunch at home. 

Although Byleth had kept a rather chill approach and focused mostly on calming Ingrid down, letting her know she was fine and the newcomer wouldn’t hate her through the rest of the semester, now it was her turn to worry. Had she overstepped by doing all those things? She had only tried to be helpful, making sure Edelgard had something to eat and that her wounds were taken care of. And well, as for the calculus thing, was there really any harm in correcting someone? Wrong was wrong no matter what, so there was nothing she could do about it.

Or the other subjects too, since Edelgard apparently had a love for answering questions the teachers threw at them, most of the times correctly and with a very sound logic, but just as every human being she slipped up here and there. So it was ok for Byleth to call her out on those, right?

She supposed she could have gushed a bit about how the new kid’s way to solve polynomials was different, asked for some classes so she could learn it but eh… again, wouldn’t that be a bit too much? Regardless, the deal had been done and Byleth was left with the feeling that now, after mere three days, she had a rival instead of a new friend. And while that was all fun when referring to video games, well, she wasn’t so sure about having a real-life enemy competing with her for grades and whatnot. 

It was bad enough she was “competing” with someone else in her life already, though it seemed that everyone decided that other person had won without even trying. She wasn’t so sure she wanted to take that same atmosphere to school, too. 

Her feet automatically turned right and she had to stop herself, shaking her head at that silliness before correcting her path and going left. It was just telling that her first instinct after a troublesome day would be going to The Gaming Mug and playing for as long as she wanted to, but that was a complete no-no at that time since Dorothea was currently at work and she didn’t have her special outfit on her. No matter, there was already something waiting for her at home, which was just a few more blocks away from her. 

Her steps rushed through the concrete, anticipation making her go faster as it always did once school let out and she was free. Yes, it was nice to be that perfect student and athlete, as others said she was, but there was a limit to how much she could and wanted to pretend. Cue in her almost slip when Edelgard’s surname was mentioned and the other girls started talking about the last tourney - that little smirk had been completely uncalled for and she was sure the new girl had caught up on it. Not that it really mattered, if she wasn’t a gamer she wasn’t a gamer, though that was something else that remained to be tested. 

Because it did seem like an oddity that a Hresvelg wouldn’t enjoy the game her own family had made, right?

Ugh, she had to keep that girl out of her thoughts at least for that night. She was just a nice addition to the class and a klutzy one at that, but still. Byleth rounded up the corner to her peaceful street, one that had colorful houses lining a roundabout with huge orange trees and red carnations in the center, her heart singing with joy at finding it empty. That meant she was already free to be herself even before reaching home, a red, two-story house which was a tad bigger than the ones around it and faced the trees she loved so much (and had stolen the oranges from several times in the past, though she was never caught). 

She ran, smiling at the prospect of what was to come, her feet leaving behind any thoughts of Edelgard and what she would bring to the table for the days to come. In a moment that was only Byleth's, she got through the silver path between perfectly-cropped, emerald grass and red snapdragons her brother cultivated, then fumbled at her backpack for the silver keys on a simple, flowery keychain and opened the black wooden door. 

“I’m hoooooome!” She yelled to no one in particular, taking off her shoes and leaving them on a small rack that was kept beside the entrance.

Her long socks were out next, but those she simply stuffed in her shoes before dashing between the small dining table to the right and the rustic stairs on the left, cast a longing look to the living room with the flat-screen TV facing a sole, round brown sofa and veered to the door on the right, where the kitchen was. 

Her stomach rumbled in anticipation as well as protest, since she had indeed been thinking too much about certain matters but hadn't had anything else to eat since lunch to compensate for it. That was why she ignored the fridge and the cupboards to her left - for now - and went straight to the pantry, a small door on her right that hid all the best treasures and snacks she had coaxed her brother into getting for her whenever he went to the market. 

Her eyes roamed through the shelves, registering everything there. An assortment of cookies, sacks of candy, chocolate bars, salted snacks, bread, cereal boxes, dried fruit, chips and packaged cakes stared back at her, all too compelling, all seemingly begging for her attention. 

How could she ever say no to such a sweet calling?

And that was why, five minutes later, Byleth was back in the living room, making herself comfortable in the fluffy cream-colored carpet with at least one piece of everything and a three-liter bottle of soda to wash it down. She turned on the TV and took her console from the rack in front of her, the controller fitting easily into hands that had been made for it - or that had shaped themselves to better hold them after too many hours, days and years playing video games for a long period of time. 

Though, with how hungry she was she’d be playing badly for a while, right? At least until her body regained the energy it had lost in volleyball and the school day as a whole, as well as overthinking about Edelgard and everything she could represent. 

“Hm yeah that wouldn’t be good at all. Can’t hop online for some Fokken matches and be a bad player,” she mused, then let go of the controller and turned on the TV, easily skimming through channels with her left hand while her right opened a bag of chips and put a lot of them into her mouth. 

Byleth ate some more and finally found her favorite cartoon channel, starting to feel comfortable when she realized there was something missing… something very important missing. She frowned while thinking it through and had almost lied on her belly to watch TV when she realized what it was. Jumping to her feet and climbing the stairs two at a time, she went to her room as fast as if she was supposed to score another point in handball with the entire opposing team surrounding her. 

There, she had to dodge some clothes, graphic novels, books and figures that fell the moment she opened her wardrobe looking for it. Since many things were splayed on the floor and would need to be picked up later (when there was no nice cartoon for her to watch), it took her one second to locate the object and pick it up, beaming as she put it on with practiced gestures. 

Ah yes, now she was ready to spend the rest of her day relaxing. Without her green manakete onesie, the picture just wasn’t complete at all. It even had tiny wings on its back and had been tough to find, something she had snatched on the internet and had it delivered to her house a few years ago - and still fit her to that day. 

Her brother always wondered how it hadn’t shrunk from being washed so many times, but then she had kept from him the fact that she had gotten others and bought them as soon as they came out (on his credit card, of course). Well, that was on him though, until he finally found out that was the case and would more than likely make her pay for them but eh, she was ready for it anyways.

She was always ready to blackmail him even when there was no need for it. One had to be prepared no matter what.

Humming on her way downstairs, Byleth was more than happy to splay herself on the ground and open a pack of candies, popping one into her mouth and already trying to decide what she would have next. Usually a sack of chips would fill her up a little, but today was indeed an exception. Though Wednesdays did often find her hungrier than normal since volleyball practice was tougher on those days, she could always blame it on the one occupying her thoughts.

“Ah Edelgard, thanks to you I’ll have to get more snacks,” she shook her head, as if in disapproval even though the idea filled her with joy. “Well it can’t be helped. A slice of cake after that chocolate bar and I _might_ be set for some online games.”

It was infuriating to have to get to the kitchen again and grab the chocolate cake from the fridge, but so she did once her cartoon faded to black on a stupid cliffhanger and some adds came on. She was so hungry she ate that without bothering with a plate and fork, then washed her hands on the pristine sink and returned just in time for her favorite villainess to lose an easy battle to the awful hero. 

“Hmpf,” she protested, drinking from the soda bottle that was hers to begin with since Beleth hated sweet drinks, his loss. “Why can’t this be more realistic? She was such a threat until two chapters ago, ugh.”

Even though she knew that was bound to happen sooner or later, it was disappointing to see the way the villain had been treated and disposed of without care for her past and her troubles. And what was worse, some people said that the cartoon was based on Fódlan history too, but she doubted it and hoped it wasn’t the case. It would be a shame for such a powerful woman to lose like that. 

Well no matter, she thought, changing the TV settings to allow her for some gaming time. That season finale had left her extremely frustrated; so had the fact that she was now having to solace Ingrid on an almost daily basis and had gotten a scathing glance from the new girl too, before volleyball practice.

“I was just trying to help…” She pouted, turning on her console and using her left hand to select Fokken on her game list, her right one opening a bag of fish-flavored snacks. Although those were her favorite and always lightened her mood after some weird days, the flavor was lost with that thought, as she wondered if she had done anything wrong, or if she should apologize next morning.

Those thoughts clouded her mind a bit more than they usually did when she was playing, a first that annoyed her, made her a tad more reckless on online matches. She didn’t lose any, something she was proud of, but some of those had almost come to sudden death and were too close for comfort. No, she wasn’t playing like herself on that day and didn’t want to make a mess of her games like that. Hence she went offline the moment she saw Singer, aka Dorothea, step in and smiled at the familiar name.

It had been so tough for her not to compliment Thea on Monday, what with how nicely she had played and all, but still. She had sent her a nice message on Hooter already, one that had given the Singer a lot of new followers, more Hoots in response and Rehoots too, so that was nice already, right? Even so, Byleth admired her friend and had done so for a long while, ever since she had heard that the girl was working after class, studying until late at night and trying to be the best at, well, everything.

She smiled, thinking about that and wondering if she would ever be able to survive such a killer routine. Her mind was a lot clearer the moment she went offline and started playing against the AI for some reason, but she just shrugged, put her opponent to max level and proceeded to destroy them, trying her best to not take any damage.

That was what she praised herself in, anyways. Clean, nice and fast matches that required a lot of reading and mental power, minimized wasted moves and didn’t allow any room for mistakes. Sure, things were different when playing against a human being and oftentimes it meant her job was a lot easier then, since people had emotions to cloud their decisions and misreads that compromised their strategies. 

One only had to look at the Flame Emperor, once a highly skilled player and now someone who seemed to easily lose to impatience and being too much in their head in order to see what Byleth was talking about. While waiting for her game to load a new match, she replayed their finals game by memory, frowning once she identified common errors and wondered why they had done something so stupid. More than once Byleth had even halted her onslaught and almost telegraphed that she was about to attack just to let them block, but the move had hit nonetheless. 

“They were probably having a bad day,” Byleth rationalized, though if that was the case then they had been having a lot of bad days recently. She couldn’t remember one Flame Emperor match she had considered stellar ever since she found out about how amazing Fokken was and decided to try the competitive scene. 

“Tell me about it.”

She bolted in place at that grumpy voice, which had come out of nowhere and almost made her lose her combo and an incredible score. Her finger expertly hit the pause button and she turned around, furious, to see her brother standing behind her.

Beleth, her older brother by no more than fifteen minutes. Even so, to say they were worlds apart would be nothing but stating a fact. His eyes, as blue and set as hers, were lined by dark circles and his face was too pale, gaunt and exuding tiredness in a way that made Byleth flinch. His short indigo hair was disheveled, not because it was its natural style but due to simple lack of time to actually make it presentable. He wore a grey suit and a royal blue tie; this, and the fact that he was carrying a black briefcase, made him look a lot older than seventeen.

But then, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that his demeanor made him sound seventy-one instead, a joke that Byleth had done ever since she realized it got on his nerves for some reason. 

“Hello,” she saluted him, anger leaving her face the moment she saw how upset he seemed to be. She also decided to end the match even though she had just started it. Her hands were sore and needed to be stretched - also, it was almost time for her next favorite cartoon, so more gaming would come later that night. Who knew, maybe with some distraction she would be able to play better and hop online too. “You look tired.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes, a staple. “So you say every day. And I see you were hungry today.” He motioned at the fort of discarded sacks of chips, bottles of soda and chocolate wrappings that had settled around Byleth as she played the late afternoon and early evening away. “Please put this all in the trash or else there’ll be no dessert for you.”

“As you say, big brother.” She was almost unable to hide the little giggle that rose in her chest at that threat. Joke was on him, she had already helped herself to the cake while he was gone anyways. “You’ll need to go to the supermarket soon, we’re running out of snacks and sodas.”

“Oh, you mean _you_ are running out of snacks and sodas,” he replied, shouting from the kitchen. “I went to the market today to get stuff for dinner, if you want more of your stuff go get it yourself.”

If Byleth had a coin for every time she had heard that, she would probably be able to buy Hresvelg Co. from Edelgard’s parents. She beamed, shaking her head at that. It had probably been a bad day (or start of the week) at college and work too, she could tell. Despite the fact that they didn’t have a lot in common, he was still her brother and she could read him like one of her favorite graphic novels or fanfiction. 

Hence she turned off her console and put the TV back to her cartoon channel, realizing she was a tad late to that episode and wondering where her day had gone. Time did speed up when one was having fun, that was right, she mused, hearing the silent curses and thumps coming from the kitchen while Beleth made dinner. He could complain as much as he liked, as he was a mediocre cook - the culinary abilities were something that Byleth had gotten instead, not that she flauntered them in risk her brother got the wrong idea and told her to make their meals for then on.

That didn’t mean she couldn’t tease - or even worse, help him - though. He was looking a bit downcast, the edge of that sadness peeking from behind a curtain of stress and exhaustion in his eyes, something she had learned to read as the years went by and the twins were pulled even further apart. 

It surprised her when she put the TV volume on max so she could hear it and went to the kitchen herself, but the taken aback expression on his face was really something else too, once he noticed he had company.

“What? I’m baking some fish and it’ll take a while. Not that you must be hungry or anything, so-”

“What’s up?” She inquired, the moment she realized he was more than likely going to keep mumbling about her bad habits and weird ability to always be up for some food.

“There’s nothing wrong.” He deflected, though his voice had something to it that told her a different story. “Don’t you have a cartoon to watch?”

“That’s why the TV is so loud.” Byleth sighed, watching as he seasoned the fish by eye and made a mess out of it. “Spill it already, is it college? The company?” She really didn't want to help, but it would be worse if he dragged up that drama, even more so when she might have one of her own to solve too.

Beleth stopped, turned around to stare at her. “You being insistent doesn’t make things easier, you know.” Since that was received with a shrug, he simply put a hand to his forehead. “Goddess, you can’t be my sister. You’re too annoying.”

“And you’re too bad at cooking and lying,” she retorted, getting closer to the kitchen counter and elbowing him aside. “Turn on the oven and don’t get used to this, I’m just feeling particularly… charitable today. Also as payment you'll go to the market for me afterwards, I need my snacks restocked.”

He tittered while doing it and fetching other things she ended up requiring. For a while there was nothing but the TV blasting about a magical girl defeating an evil archbishop, the kitchen getting slightly warmer due to the oven and the blaring white lights over them. That was how things worked with Beleth, though. He needed time and patience to get through his own feelings before being able to formulate a semi-coherent sentence about them.

Maths and calculus were his forte, not communication and emotional intelligence. Which was why he wasn’t the PR of their parents’ familiar company, Fish and Eat ‘Em, an awful name to a little building located at the edge of the biggest river in Garreg Mach that hosted both a restaurant and a fishing area. 

He might not be dealing with people - there was someone else doing that for them, thank you - but he was indeed the new financial manager and had been so since the tender age of sixteen, when he also got into Garreg Mach University for Economics and became the youngest student on his program. 

That was expected, he was a genius with numbers and had been so for the moment they could both hold a pencil on their hands. Which was exactly why their parents had kept him in charge before trying to open a branch of their company in Derdriu, despite all the very solid arguments Beleth had shown them to the contrary. 

Jeralt and Sitri didn’t listen, though. It had always been their dream to explore those lands and try making a living by the sea, so they jumped into a deal, got a building there on their 20th wedding anniversary and, after making sure the twins would be able to fend for themselves - aka, depositing all the responsibility on their prodigious, genius kid - had embarked on that adventure and would visit Garreg Mach once or twice a month. 

That was how their lives had gotten to that point, with Beleth being her older brother, responsible for that part of the company and most house duties, and Byleth just laying low, going through high school on her own and more than happy to expose her true tastes for video game, snacking and cartoons since her parents were no longer watching. 

The fact that she was smart in other ways had gone unnoticed, too, but that was fine on her book. As long as no one was pointing out how her brother was leagues better than her, she was more than happy to effortlessly be the best student in her class and a jack(ass) of all trades, as Beleth called her.

“I made a mistake on the last report that the manager sent me,” he said at last, eyes trained on how Byleth was seasoning the fillets, trying to learn it as he did his maths and failing miserably. He couldn’t remember the first thing she had added to the mixture already. 

“And? People make mistakes, it doesn't mean you should be all mopey about it.” Her voice was soft, though. It wasn’t easy for him to put so many feelings into so little words, she knew, and was glad that he was giving her the opportunity to glance into his heart again. “Pass me the tray.”

“That wasn’t just a report, it was the annual report. You know, the one that details how well the company has been doing, our major expenses and how much profit we’ve been making,” he added, grabbing a tinny, rectangular tray and setting it beside her. “I placed an extra 0 on the part dedicated to employee-related expenses.”

Byleth nodded along, understanding what that meant. Although Beleth was careful, more careful with those things than anyone she knew, that wasn’t the first time it had happened. “Just go about it the same way you did last year, send a… a memo and correct it later.”

They went back and forth at it while the fish was properly put in the tray and in the oven, then continued once Beleth opened his briefcase and showed her other work-related things that in theory didn’t make her simple solutions possible. And again, just as if it occurred from time to time, she reassured him and tried to show him that yes, they could work if he just went about things in a different way and cleared his damn mind for a second. For as much as he was good with numbers and logic, his thoughts did get a bit muddled whenever it felt like he had let someone down.

The second he did as instructed, his cornflower blue eyes widened in surprise and he nodded, realizing she had been right all along. 

“Why are you not the one in charge?” He gruffed once they sat down to eat dinner, looking pointedly at the amount of food on her plate. It was a mystery how she managed to snack so much and still have an appetite for dinner.

“I’m not gifted, remember?” She smirked, a forkful of fish making its way to her mouth. She was so hungry after that playing and problem-solving, she would more than likely need two helpings (of dessert of course) to feel satisfied. 

When Beleth just sighed and shook his head, both shared a knowing, sad look for a moment. It was something that weighed on Byleth’s mind, even though she tried her best to not let it show. After a while spent in silence he realized he might not be the only one with things to say. “What brought this on? You never help me with anything.”

She shrugged, unsure of what to say and damn sure he was hiding something more, too. His eyes were still troubled and she knew it wasn't due to her eating habits. “It's been some odd days so far. There’s a new girl in class and I was trying to help her but -”

They both heard the frantic knocking coming from upstairs, a small fist hitting glass doors. Luckily the TV had been turned down so they could have a meal in peace, but in any case they had been trained to notice that sound no matter how hectic the house was - or if Byleth was hellbent on playing her rhythm games at maximum volume. 

“Again? That’s the third time this month, right?” Beleth asked, frowning. His eyes were downcast, but for a different reason than before.

“Yeah, something like that.” Byleth sighed, getting to her feet. She had just finished her meal and wanted dessert, but decided it would be a nice opportunity to have it with someone else. “Don’t knock and yell like last time, you almost gave her a heart attack. Message me if you need anything.”

“Sure, sure, lesson learned. Oh, why don’t you take some food for her too? I don’t think she’d come and eat here with us.” 

“Nah, she wouldn’t.” Byleth went to the kitchen and nimbly put together a new plate, filled to the brim with fish, vegetables and rice. The cake was already perched on her other hand, a big dish that harbored two enormous slices and spoons too.

Less than a minute later her foot was on the stairs, but she turned around for a last message: “Oh, there’s no more cake but eh, it’s for a good cause right?”

He shook his head, watching her nimbly go upstairs with a lot of food on her arms. “Of course there isn’t,” he mumbled, gathering the dishes so he could wash them soon. But then, that wasn’t new. That was just another day in the life of someone who had a gaming glutton as a sister. 

Sure enough, as Byleth got to the spare room beside her, one that had nothing more than a study desk, a bed and a wardrobe, she saw a familiar speck of short purple hair and wide grey eyes looking at her from the balcony. She put the plates on the table and went to the glass doors, walking softly and slowly in order to not scare her childhood friend and the only person to really know about Byleth’s interests. 

“It’s bad?” Byleth asked on a gentle voice the moment she had opened the balcony, stepping aside so her neighbor and companion could come in. 

“Y-yeah.” Her voice was small and already apologetic, even though they had been through this a few times already. “It’s the hm, s-same as last time too.”

“Ugh, parents.” Byleth shook her head, sidestepping the other girl to close the balcony doors behind her. It was getting cold out there, the breeze icy and promising a cold morning the next day. “It’s ok, Bernie, you can stay here for as long as you want. I have food too, so yeah. That chocolate cake is amazing and my brother won’t have even one slice of it.”

That was followed by a small chuckle. Bernadetta had yet to move and her body was taut, locked in place, shoulders hunched forward and legs drawn together as if trying to make herself smaller. She still wore their Garreg Mach uniform too, which often helped when she stayed overnight and they had classes the next morning. 

Not that it would be the first time it happened, nor would it be the last unfortunately. 

“T- thank you, really.” Bernie sat by the table and slowly started eating the savory dish first. “I- think mother will file for a divorce soon, it’s really getting… bad.”

Byleth wanted to say it had been bad for too long, but that wasn’t something that would help in any case, thus she nodded and took a seat on the bed, trying to give the other girl whatever distance she needed in order to feel safe. The way the fork trembled on her hand showed how she was having a tough time all in all. 

But then it would be hard not to when one had a father like Mr. von Varley, who had terrorized his one kid for her entire life.

“You can come here anytime, Bern,” she said instead, beaming as the other kid ate and the motion seemed to calm her down. “We can play some games if you want, I actually got a new one if you wanna try it out. Or we can talk too, look at plushies, watch cartoons… your treat.”

There was some silence at that, at least while Bernadetta finished the cake and seemed to smile the slightest at it. She turned around, her cheeks a lot rosier than before, eyes still focused at a point on Byleth’s bare feet. Good, that meant she had her attention at the very least. “N-no, I don’t wanna bore you again. You know the drill anyways, by this point.”

“Okie dokie.” Byleth agreed with a beam. “Do you want me to leave?”

“Not really. I just… want a distraction to be honest. C-can we play that game you mentioned?”

Byleth was more than happy to nod and get up, guide Bernie to her room just as she had done countless other times, countless other nights when Bernadetta’s father, emotions or both got too overwhelming and the girl felt safer in the Eisners’ home. 

That night Byleth and Bernadetta played a new game on the handhelds that Byleth kept in her room for exactly that reason, with Bernie eventually loosening up and laughing at some antics of the silly little music game. It was morning when Bernie crept back to her room, but not before Byleth could almost beg her to take some of the snacks she kept at her room just in case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so guys! This chapter got a tad too long and for the sake of length and pacing I decided to split it into two (hence we got an extra chapter to the total count too) 
> 
> Little preview, so Dorothea talks about Monday, Byleth and Ingrid about Wednesday and Edelgard about Friday! Just to keep things organized and so that we won't only have chapters showing their school days. Also, it felt nice to explore their relationships at home as well, since that's an important, sometimes hellish part of being a teen.
> 
> Manuela adopting Dorothea is just too good and then we have math genius Beleth and jack(ass) of all trades Byleth. They're smart in their own ways but people like judging so yeah. More on that later on!
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed it and next chapter we'll get Ingrid's and Edelgard's experiences at home, plus their retelling of their weeks too.


	4. Four Houses, part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ingrid tries doing her math homework before her parents arrive, only to fail and then tell her sibling about everything that has been going on at school thus far.
> 
> Edelgard finds it a blessing that it's Friday for the first time in her school life, and ponders over how much has changed due to moving to Garreg Mach.

Ingrid sighed again, erasing her answer to the question when she realized it didn’t make any sense and was more than likely wrong. She had lost count of all the times she had redone that same exercise, that same stupid equation in her homework, to the point that the sheet was starting to wear thin due to her constant writing and erasing it.

Suffice it to say, every single time she had gotten a different result, too. And all of them were wrong. 

Professor Hanneman was kind enough to pass them the solutions whenever he came up with equations of his own. What many people saw as a great thing was just another source of anxiety for Ingrid. He didn’t want to see the right results on their notebooks, but how they had gotten to those, the logic and explanation behind the number. He was a firm believer that he was teaching them how to think, not how to be machines and solve equations as fast as possible.

Or, as Ingrid liked to see it, he was teaching them a language that, thus far, she had no idea how to speak and was frustrated whenever she tried prattling some words in it. Not that anybody cared - she had to learn and pass in that stupid subject no matter what, even if she had to sell her soul or make some sort of pact with some ancient deity that wouldn’t even want her soul or pact, but would be more than happy to laugh at her desperation.

“Ugh, this is so… “ Stupid wasn’t the right word, not when she felt like she was the one being dense with something that most of her friends found easy. Even Dorothea, who wasn’t the biggest fan of Maths, had said that polynomials weren’t though. She had to do it. She had to answer that little exercise or else.

After a few deep breaths and a lost look around her room, at its soothing light blue wall and the little clouds painted on it, the TV and video game console lying in wait just behind her and the bed to her right, so inviting after such a hectic day, she turned her eyes back to the equation and let her pencil hit the paper once more. 

She ignored her phone buzzing beside her, knowing it was probably Dorothea or Byleth on some rare occasions, but she couldn't afford to be distracted right then. Sure, she could ask her friends for help and she knew Byelth wouldn’t deny it, but Ingrid didn’t want to be a burden, to call on her in the middle of oh, who knew, a peace conference or another and interrupt her life-changing speech on how to end conflicts.

As funny as that sounded even to her, she wouldn’t put it past her amazing, gifted friend to be doing just that.

A groan escaped her throat once she realized she had gotten to yet another answer. Yet another wrong number, maybe the same as the number of attempts she had already done for that one single question. Not that the others weren’t solved in a similar fashion, with her having to stop and watch some videos on how to do polynomials, but still. Why was that one, small thing giving her so much trouble, more even than past ones?

Her anxiety grew when the paper actually tore under her eraser that time, but she was not just about to rewrite everything on a new sheet, oh no. She’d go back to that one later and continue trying to solve the rest of her homework as for then. And she would solve them, too, if her name wasn’t Ingrid Brandl Galatea.

“Polynomials are so gooood, my Ingrid,” she spoke aloud, making an almost perfect replica of Dorothea’s voice in order to soothe herself. “It’s right in the name too,  _ poly _ nomials. That’s why they’re so nice to solve.”

Oh, if only her friend had been right about that - though Ingrid was pretty sure she was. Problem was, she was too dense for that subject and would rather do PE classes for Edelgard instead of having to solve those atrocities. 

Suffice it to say, she was forced to give up around ten minutes later, once she heard the garage gate opening and a car coming in. Oh great, so much for her having some chill time with a nice game or another before her parents arrived. Not that her trying to solve them was actually going anywhere, but still. It wasn’t too much to ask that she could go to sleep before midnight because of homework and chores at least once, right?

Sure enough, the time for her to be at peace was already over. The door to her room was abruptly flung open the moment her father realized it had been closed. He was an old, taciturn man with few spots of white hair that had once been blonde and chilly green eyes that didn’t believe in privacy or letting his kid study after he got home. Time after work and school were to be spent with family, he thought, and made sure that everyone followed his view no matter what. 

Even if that meant that sometimes Ingrid was forced to finish her homework after he had gone to sleep, sometimes way too late for someone with classes the next day to do so.. 

“Hello, father,” the blonde greeted, trying to appear nonchalant and not as if her assignments - and now his presence - were making her miserable. “How was your day?”

“Well hello there, dear. It was good, but now I need your help in the kitchen and with the supplies I got at the market. Your mother and sister are already at it, so hurry up and join them,” he said as if there was nothing wrong with it - and to be honest, maybe there wasn’t, but it had gotten to a point that every word that left his mouth annoyed the hell out of her.

Dorothea and Byleth had agreed that it was more than ok for her to feel that way, even more so when there were no such a thing as boundaries in the Galatea household and she hadn’t been really heard or respected for as long as she could remember. Even so, she plastered a smile on her face, rose from the table and, after swiftly grabbing her phone and placing it on her pocket (as there would be no surviving the evening without Dorothea), went down the narrow, dimly lit hallway to the kitchen, passing the living room that had too many religious figures on the dining table to the left and on the round table between ancient, leather couches to the right. 

As always, some candles were lit in the cramped hallway, over a medium-sized, square shelf on the right, a lead image of Saint Seiros with her arms open engulfing the flames in front of her. Ingrid and her sibling always joked that the little monument looked rather devilish under that light, as if it were a demon raising the fires of hell. The thought made her give a sincere smile, though it didn’t last long since soon enough she took a left turn at the living room and arrived at the accursed kitchen. 

The same fake beam she had graced her father with returned once she greeted her mother and younger sister - sibling, actually, but her father didn’t really care about pronouns or anything else that seemed to defy what he called “the natural way of the world”. Or what she and her sibling Rowan called “a bunch of stupidity worse than math.” They were in the spacious kitchen, the one where her mother had tried time and again to teach both of her children how to cook, only to fail miserably and demote to smiling at their nice appetite. 

“Gosh you look… something else, sis,” Rowan said the moment they saw her, hands filled with groceries they had been taking from the car to the small, round table on the left side of the kitchen. “Something wrong?”

That time Ingrid’s smile was again genuine. Although Rowan was three years younger than her and a tease around 24/7, they had a great relationship going and were incredibly supportive of one another and their mom too. They had to be, or else their father would simply steal all the joy in that small, one-story house they had the honor of calling their home. 

“Eh, maths is being awful but what else is new.” Ingrid shrugged, picked up half of her sibling’s load and put it on the kitchen counter instead. She was disgusted anew at how many of those groceries were stuff that only their father enjoyed. And to think that most of it was expensive and he would always claim he didn’t have enough money for other things.

Again, nothing new there, but for some reason she felt a bit more irked by those small transgressions and unfairness than usual. It wouldn’t take a genius to determine why and no, calculus wasn’t the only thing to blame.

“What else?” Rowan whispered, matching her pace once they got to the car and their mother was inside. Although she wasn’t as bad as their father, she could be something else too. “You really look troubled and I wanna help.”

“You’re too sweet.” Ingrid briefly squeezed their hand and took a second longer there, looking at everything and making it seem as if she were trying to determine what to take next. “There’s a new girl in class and she’s my table mate. She arrived Monday but… couldn’t tell you before because, you know.” She motioned back at the house and Rowan understood - those last few days had been extra annoying with their father almost following them around. He did that sometimes, when he was stressed out and so on. 

That information, spoken in hushed tones and as fast as the blonde could allow herself to, was enough to tip them off about all that distress. They widened aquamarine eyes at Ingrid and beamed, dramatically tossing behind long, ombre locks in a mocking gesture.

“Is she cute? Are you interested already? Oh gosh you’re blushing, you  _ are _ interested!”

“Hush! Do you want me to be thrown on the street?” Ingrid reprimanded, color rising to her cheek yet again when she registered what her sibling had just said. She eased her frown once they got inside, just so their mom wouldn’t inquire as to why they were fighting, and went on: “It has been some days, let me tell you. And yeah, she’s cute and a genius at calculus too.”

The two of them had just put a big load of supplies on the table and watched as their mother closed the car. They wouldn’t have a lot of time to talk freely like that, as after that they would more than likely be under their parents’ supervision while performing an assortment of pointless tasks. All meant to shape them into future good wives, or whatever it was that their father said about it. 

That was why Rowan stepped closer to Ingrid and whispered, so fast she thought she had misheard it at first: “Well duh, ask her for help then. You do have her number right?”

Ingrid’s blank stare was all the answer they got, and all they would get for a while once their mother asked for help preparing dinner. Of course their father was nowhere to be seen at first and after he graced them with his presence and stupid remarks, their communication was split into moments of respite, when the parents were too busy doing or talking about something else to actually pay attention to the kids.

“How could you not get her number? Well do it first thing in the morning tomorrow, tell her your class has a group chat or whatever,” Rowan went on, stirring the pot and tasting the scant vegetable soup they were making for that night, then frowned at all the salt their father had made her add. 

“We don’t have a group chat though,” Ingrid replied a few minutes later, eyes stinging as she finished chopping onions to be added later on. The reproachful stare she got from her sibling was enough to let her know that wasn’t necessary anyways. 

“Just… get closer to her by letting her help you. Two birds one stone, you get the girl and amazing grades that’ll get father off your case in the meantime.” They uttered, dusting the living room - more specifically, the cheap-looking glass cabinet that stood behind the couch, filled with small religious figures on all of its three shelves. Meanwhile, the so-called man of the house watched a sitcom and laughed along the worst parts ever. “Or if you don’t wanna do that, at least get her number or something, jeez. You move too slow.”

“I think she hates me,” Ingrid admitted, downcast, once she pretended to sweep the sofa closest to her sibling and the furthest away from their father for the fourth time in that evening.

How stupid was it that the day was going by as they performed chores like that? It was already dark, her stomach was rumbling in protest (and hate for the fact it’d get nothing more than soup to see her through the night), and she was barely being able to answer Dorothea’s messages. They had just done the same things yesterday anyways, there was no need for that.

She did her best to tell what happened through Monday and Tuesday, though of course it got interrupted by a very long, very boring prayer before that scant dinner that left Ingrid hungrier than before, and the two of them washing and drying the dishes after that was done for. 

“Not you, dummy, I agree with Dorothea there. Girl just had some tough first days and oh, guess what, if you had her number you could be solacing her right now instead of this,” they retorted, shaking their head in wonder. “I swear Ingrid, I know you just freeze in front of girls but still. Also have you invited Thea out? I’m tired of listening to you talk about it.”

They had gone a bit too far, though, for the glare they received from Ingrid made them feel afraid for their lives after that was said. That was a typical Ingrid response to all the times she was pushed around a tad more than she wanted to. It didn’t mean their friendship was shattered or anything.

Unfortunately the siblings didn’t have a lot more time to discuss the matter, as after dinner their father insisted for the entire family to watch the news together on their sleek, flat screen TV and on a black couch that creaked whenever they moved and seemed like it would implode one day or another. That was before another long prayer session at the small living room, the four of them sitting at the long, rectangular table, dark wood simply lining a piece of white marble that for the occasion, was taken over by religious figures and prayer books. Not that Ingrid paid any attention to it, not after she heard her father asking her why she was single and hadn’t found a boyfriend yet, as he tended to do at least once a week, and made them pray for her to find someone (while she and Rowan had to suppress snickers, of course). It was better to laugh than to feel depressed at the entire thing, though, or else her father would run her entire life and her mind, too. 

That was the last thing she wanted, the last thing she would allow to happen.

When they were finally free to do whatever they wanted, it was already past 11 pm. Their parents had gone straight to bed, leaving Ingrid and Rowan to put the books and images in place before retiring to their own rooms, identical in size and decoration, one beside the other. They had done so, messaging for a bit longer about the whole Edelgard situation and on how Rowan was finally being called by their preferred pronouns at school as well, before Ingrid told them to go to sleep and turned back to her homework. 

It was hopeless, though. Not all the praying in the world would help her understand numbers and their intricacies, the precise ways with which they should move and be handled for an equation to work. Tired, frustrated, slightly embarrassed by all those talks about a girl she had met a few days ago and made a mess of herself in front of, Ingrid closed her notebooks, turned on her TV and her second-hand console, was more than happy to find Dorothea awake and invited her to voice chat for a bit.

Maybe it was too late for her to be doing something like that and she would be sleepy on Thursday, before math class even began. Maybe that would make her sloppier with equations and too frustrated to solve them. However, if there was one thing she and Rowan had vowed to do once they realized their parents weren’t exactly the best model figures out there, it was that they would resist, they would do whatever they wanted to and never let their father be the one to dictate how and when they would have fun.

Gaming was more than just a way to relax, to punch some animated characters in the face when she was too frustrated with the way things were going, with the way her life was being conducted by someone who didn’t even know who she was. It was a form of rebelling, of affirming herself and carving some time to be with people who truly understood her - in this case, her dearest friend Dorothea and some other peeps she had met through video games through life, whom she messaged while the game loaded and as Thea hummed on voice chat, the tune relaxing and grounding after a stupidly long day at home. 

That night, way beyond their curfew but too excited to go to sleep, Ingrid relaxed and let her mind wander to all the possibilities stretching in front of her while playing some rounds of Fokken with her childhood friend - who also happened to be a girl she admired and, in that nondescript Wednesday, she finally asked out on a date. 

* * *

Fridays had more often than not been just another day for Edelgard von Hresvelg. Whereas most of her friends and siblings would rejoice on it, anticipating the weekend ahead and the opportunity to relax, to do something outside of work and school, she would merely shrug and say there was nothing really that special about it.

But then, that was because she was prone to spend Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays studying, making sure all of the extra exercises she had either requested or had access to on her workbooks were done and she was up to date on the required reading. Not that it was hard for her to be on top of her school load - that was something she did on a daily basis anyways, before allowing herself the sweet, sweet feeling of having a controller in her hands and endless matches of Fokken until she fell in bed, exhausted and sometimes with a bit of pain in her hands. 

So yes, weekends did mean that she would in theory have more time to play games, or to be with her family since her parents and oldest siblings pretty much only returned home from work on Friday nights (they actually had rooms and bathrooms in the company), but even so. There was a limit to all of that and she would rather be at school with her peers than having to withstand Fiona’s ramblings about a boy - or a girl - that she liked and Dana giving her advice on what to wear on top of the school uniform in order to look nice.

That had been back in Enbarr, when the routine at Wilhelm I had challenged her and she had been known as the smartest girl in her year. When the clean greyness of the city had matched the usual quick, clear logic she used both on everyday problems and on schoolwork. When sure, she had been friendless since most of her peers either silently loathed her, loudly gossiped behind her back or were indifferent to someone who wasn’t at school to meet new people and make lifelong relationships, but to excel in every subject and look good while doing it.

It was funny to see how much a change of location had ended that perspective of hers, even though she had neither stopped going to school nor had it become any less important in her mind. Everything was too different though, she thought as she limped through the streets of Garreg Mach, with the colorful houses that seemed to mock her current mood and flowery roundabouts that sometimes required her to run while crossing it, since there were almost no traffic lights on those. Not that she couldn’t run, as she did the moment a bright purple car got dangerously close to her, but it  _ really, really hurt  _ for her to do so.

Not that she hadn’t expected it, after a week of being forced to not only be in PE class, but actually do something and be a part of the game. 

She sighed, rolling ankles that she had twisted more times than she could count, no matter how good with numbers she was. It wasn’t supposed to be like that, for her to start despising school due to the many new scars, bumps and wounds she had gotten in one subject, one that didn’t even matter as much as the others did. However, for the first time in her life she could say that it was a blessing that Friday had arrived, thank whatever Goddess that was up there (only after cursing Her for making her suffer like that through the week), relief settling in her entire body like the balm she needed to heal her pain.

She couldn’t wait to not have to fall one thousand times while darting after a ball, getting hit by them one thousand and one times once another student tried executing a pass to her or just being elbowed away when someone from her team or the other thought she was being a nuisance to their pristine game. That last one had happened so often, despite Byleth calling Felix off on Monday, Hilda on Tuesday and Caspar on Wednesday, that coach Ladislava ended up saying that whoever did something unkind to Edelgard, or didn’t let her participate as she should, would lose not points in the game but on their actual grades.

That, along with Byleth’s warning about not helping them with subjects if they asked, made everyone apologize and resort to shooting El dirty stares instead of being verbally and physically more blatant.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t thankful for both interventions, for Ingrid actually asking for her number after pleading for her to help with polynomials, which Edelgard had been more than happy to start doing on Wednesday, or for Dorothea staying beside her no matter what, always telling her something funny about the person who had been rude to her in some way or the other.

That little fallout with Felix on Monday, on her first day no less, had left her shaken, wondering if she would yet again become the target of stupid gossip and stupidier names. And in some form it felt different, warm, to have other kids getting closer to her, trying to make sure everything was ok, that she was ok. So yes, she was thankful about it and how, aside from her issues in the beginning of the week, she had been welcomed in a nicer way than she thought she would.

The one thing she disliked about the entire setting, probably as much as having to take part in PE, was Byleth herself. 

Edelgard placed her weight on her left foot, which miraculously throbbed the least, and used her arms to pretty much haul herself into the bus that would take her home. Luckily after that first mistake she hadn’t boarded the wrong bus anymore, getting to know its number and route by heart little by little. She sat by the window and placed her bag on her lap, hugging it and letting her posture slump as her thoughts went back to that troublesome person.

Byleth was there when she fell in PE, when she was bleeding due to a new wound, earlier in the morning so they could go over her bandages (which were always done before Edelgard could understand what was going on) and as soon as class let out, asking how El was feeling and if she needed any help. She was there when the answer Edelgard provided to something the teacher had asked was either a half-truth or if it needed to be complemented, whenever Fiona had robbed the bundles she had separated the night before and as a result, Edelgard was left without lunch or a snack. And she was more than definitely  _ there  _ when professor Hanneman kept being surprised at her logic, but there was one thing or the other which made the end result wrong.

Byleth was a smile, an offered hand the moment she fell, an extra snack or lunch and words of solace if someone did anything at all to her on PE. And, what annoyed Edelgard the most and made her wonder what she was doing wrong, Byleth was the epitome of a flawless student, both in academics and sports, a category she would never achieve no matter how much she tried.

The myriad wounds that colored her body in red, yellow and blue as they healed, just like the colors that Garreg Mach loved so much, were a testament to that.

Her head was leaning on the window, eyes threatening to close with the rhythmic motion of the bus, as vehicles had always put her to sleep and she was indeed tired, in a way she had never been before during high school. She knew she would lose her stop and probably sleep all the way through the city if she let herself go, but it was getting harder and harder to keep her eyes open.

Slowly, and not only due to the permanent pain that had taken over her entire body, she started considering the need to take the limo with Fiona and avoid all of that unnecessary stress, even if it meant enduring her younger sister and not being as independent as she envisioned herself the moment the Hresvelgs moved to this new city.

Fortunately the ride didn’t take long and soon she was left out very close to her home, mere five minutes away on foot. That was, if she weren’t hurt all over and half stumbling over her own feet due to how much everything just ached and fired at her, making her cringe at every two steps and every breath, more or less. Though who knew, if  _ Byleth  _ were there she would find out that she was grimacing once every sixty steps and nine breaths. 

Shaking her head, she willed her thoughts to keep away from that girl. She had better things to think about than someone like her anyways, it wasn’t as if she didn’t have some homework to go through to begin with. As soon as her wrists stopped bothering her, that was - she had taken a very bad pass that day in handball, which had been done with extra strength and ended up making her hand hurt.

What was worse, she had had to deal with that for the rest of the day, to the point that taking notes had been too painful. Not one to give up, she had refused Ingrid’s offer of help and kept on as if nothing had happened, even if she was almost crying at the end. Now she would have to endure the same thing for homework and probably have to keep away from gaming? On a Friday night no less? She hoped there were some painkillers in the house or else. 

It wasn’t the first time she had noticed how the Hresvelg mansion stood out like a sore, too big thumb in their street, behind an imposing golden gate full of rose designs and three differently sized arcs. The brick house was a hue of burgundy that was unusual against all the cheerier reds, yellows and blues that were common around Garreg Mach, even for the manors. It was a three-story building that was more horizontal than vertical, the roof flat and in a dark color instead of being arched, grandiose and made of light stone like the other mansions around theirs. It had vaulted windows, some with stained glass, as well as vaulted doors in black wood everywhere and dark-colored pillars to frame it all.

The place stood in front of a round lane that circled a small, light marble fountain, verdant pine trees and well-cared for, emerald grass. To say the building was probably as big as the high school section of Garreg Mach would be an understatement, but she preferred not to know. She would rather not think about school at all, even more so since she was that mad about it to begin with.

She stormed to the front gate, almost forgetting her pain and tripping over a rock that shouldn’t be there. Her eyes narrowed when she pressed the intercom, an ugly black thing on the glistening gate, and her voice was a tad too rispid as she asked one of the many maids to let her in. Usually she knew better than to let anger at herself ebb into how she treated others, but it had been a very long week and the only thing she wanted to do was lie down and forget the world existed. 

For the last few days she had noticed how long the way from the gate to the main door was, but in that particular afternoon it seemed even longer, every step a painful reminder that she wasn't there yet. So the moment she did pass between two dark pillars and was finally in front of the entrance, she turned and leaned against it, closing her eyes and catching her breath not because she had overexerted herself, but due to how much every damn thing just hurt.

She wanted out of there. She wanted to go back to Wilhelm I and to the comfort of not having to participate in PE, only handing in essays about sports and their rules to make up for her grades. To the certainty that she was the best student and her logic surpassed others'. Hell, even to being sure that if she forgot her lunch or Fiona stole it as a prank, she could count on the cafeteria (and not a caf-ew-teria) to have something to eat.

Those memories were sweet, making her smile for pretty much the first time in that day - well, that and of course how cute Ingrid and Dorothea had been when she helped them both with -

"Are you going to stay out here doing photosynthesis or - ooooops!"

Edelgard squeaked when the door abruptly opened behind her, making her overbalance and struggle to not fall one more time. She was sure she would skin a knee or her hands if they were to get to know the rustic, rocky silver floor closer by. 

"Look before you open that door!" Edelgard protested, looking at her youngest sister with a mixture of disdain, anger and adrenaline which made her heart beat in triple speed. 

"Well, it's your fault for being stupid and leaning against it to begin with," Fiona retorted, shaking her mane of long, silky dark brown hair that was stuck in a messy ponytail and crossing her arms. She was still wearing their school uniform, minus the long socks and the shoes. "Anyways, are you… goddess, you look -"

"What is it this time, hm? On Monday I looked like the incarnation of misfortune, on Tuesday I was super tired, on Wednesday you said it seemed that my entire class had stepped over me and just yesterday you called me what, a zombie that had been run over by a truck parade," Edelgard exploded, numbering each stupid thing her sister had thrown at her during that week. 

Not that it stopped Fiona from going on, but then it was rare for something or someone to actually accomplish that.

"Yeah hm… you look like the entire cast of Fokken decided to beat you up. There, is that one better?" She preened, as if she had finally said something that could cheer her sister up. 

She giggled as Edelgard facepalmed, too tired and worn out to even care about that little nod to her love of video games. Pretty much none of her siblings shared her interest in it, at least not enough to try playing it competitively as she did, but it was ok. It was good, even - what with how many children there were in the house, it was nice to have one hobby that wasn't shared by many, to be able to carve her own individuality like that.

Which was an issue that many would find absurd, she knew, but after being messed up with Fiona one too many times due to their similar heights and them being inseparable as kids, it became something she resented over time. 

"Anyways, you uh, coming in or are you really trying to do photosynthesis out here?" Her sister went on when she failed to respond and simply stared, as if in a daydream. 

"Stop holding the door, then." Edelgard winced at her own tone as she stepped beside her sister, who had a similar grimace on her face. "Sorry."

"It's fine. There are some snacks in the kitchen if you want and soon Edmund will arrive, so we could make some sort of reception and -"

"No, I… I'm really not feeling well." She turned to face Fiona as soon as they stepped into the pristine entrance hall, a beautifully decorated one in white tiles and even whiter walls, some flowers and paintings hanging from it on both sides. "I wanted to receive Eddie, hear all about his new classes and Garreg Mach University, but I think I need to lie down."

For the first time in that week, Fiona regretted making all those jokes about her sister's state. A cursory look made it clear that she was neither joking nor exaggerating - there were bruises everywhere and they seemed to be multiplying as the days went by, too. Her lilac eyes, usually vibrant and satisfied after a great day at school, were dull and unmotivated. 

Edelgard had always opposed them moving from Enbarr, but that was really something else altogether. That was why Fiona simply nodded, making a mental note to tell Dana about it the moment she arrived. 

"Please let Edmund know I'll talk to him as soon as - er, I'll talk to him soon," El added, glad that apparently even her playful little sister had grasped her need for some rest. “I’m sorry I can’t be here for you, too.”

She turned around, sneering at how awful the short table with an assortment of bouquets looked like in the middle of the two white marbled stairs with black metal for rails which led to both second and third floors, one on each side of what Conrad and Celia, the twins, called the ballroom and used to practice dance whenever they had too much to drink. To the right and underneath the staircase there were more paintings on the walls, plush velvet chairs in colors such as blue and black, two huge glass cupboards with all the children’s trophies and a small shelf filled to the brim with magazines and romance books.

The living room, where Fiona spent most of her afternoons doing homework while grimacing and yelling at her favorite series which was on the home screen TV set, was to the left and aside from the movie equipment and four cream-colored couches, also harbored a small dining table that was rarely used given how big the family was. When Edelgard was in the mood to have some company while going through schoolwork - and had the patience to tune out her sister’s screaming - she would move her notebooks and books downstairs and stay there too, staring at the huge window behind the TV set and at the red carnations growing on the garden outside.

Not on that day, though. She would rather have some peace and quiet, even if she wasn’t really planning on resting as she had told Fiona. Hence she took her bag and the shoes she had removed up the winding, intricately decorated staircase, hand sliding over the cool rail and the filigreed-like pattern underneath it.

It hurt to climb, sore muscles and wounds protesting at each movement so that she slowed down considerably from how she usually darted upstairs, eager to do what she had to and play some games later. The fact that she was sure there were eyes on her made her sigh in annoyance, at the fact that Fiona had indeed seen her in that state.

Would it change anything? She didn’t know and thought it wouldn’t be the case. Due to it being a Frida, that meant their parents and older siblings would finally be home, something that would more than likely be a nuisance instead of extra comfort. There would be too many voices at the dining table, even if they did have rules about taking turns to talk and only speaking one at a time. Thing was, as the tenth child her turn to speak never really arrived, especially since Fiona had a tendency to charge ahead with her own complaints or considerations before Edelgard could even open her mouth to begin with.

She turned right once arriving at the second floor, eyeing the little blue sofa that stood between the two stairs as well as the round, mahogany table and the crystal vase of lively purple peonies over it. She could always take her homework there if she started feeling lonely for some reason - it was close enough to the living room that she would listen to her sister rambling about that medical show anyways. 

The hallway that she crossed was, again, unbearably long, with three doors on each side, ending in a wall and an arched window with stained glass. Usually she would stare at the myriad lights in the floor and the walls, the doors to some of her siblings’ rooms, marveling at the different colors and hues depending on what time of the day it was. They had had something similar to that in the old Hresvelg mansion and she had thought the similarity would help her think of this new one as home, too. 

Funny how it seemed more like the vision was mocking her than anything else. 

Her quarters were in the exact middle of the corridor, not far enough so the lights would touch it. The door stood to the right wall, between Dana’s and Fiona’s, and in front of them were Edmund’s, Dominic’s and Conrad’s rooms. The other six were to the left of the stairs on an exact equal hallway, and their parents’ most unused chambers were on the third floor along storage rooms upon storage rooms. The extra space was so ridiculously extra that Edelgard used to say that even the pantry had it's own pantry.

Sighing in weariness and tiredness that had finally settled between her eyes, she went inside her pristine room, bigger than the one she had occupied in Enbarr but a lot gloomier, silent and empty, devoid of the memories she had filled those old quarters with. The huge windows which stood opposite to the door went from floor to ceiling and let in a bright light which hurt her lilac eyes, what with the way it fell on the white tiles on the ground and reflected at her. Her huge bed stood on the left wall, the dark crimson duvets offering her some respite from the cheery colors of Garreg Mach.

Her study table was in front of the window, as she loved gazing outside whenever she was bored or needed inspiration, and her red laptop stood there as well. The TV set and her video game console had gained a new place in a dark brown rack that was part of her wardrobe on the right wall, the entire thing encompassing the whole side of the room and containing shelves both under and over the TV for her games and books, then a door on each side of it for her clothes and other stuff. And while it was good to not have her console on a small table or on the floor - Fiona had tripped over it more than once after all - she had mixed feelings about that arrangement too, but even so. 

Her movements were stiff as she closed the door behind her and placed her shoes beside it, her backpack falling to the ground and almost dragged to the study table. Edelgard stole a quick glance at the bed, almost as if it were inviting her for a rest, but she knew better than to fall for such a temptation. With how tired she was, she would never get her homework done if she even considered taking a nap.

She took her notebooks, pencil case and phone from her bag and took a seat on the very comfortable chair, only to sigh and get up again when she remembered that it would be a good idea to grab the text and workbooks as well if she ever wanted to get homework done. After setting in with everything she needed, making a mental plan on what to start with and how to proceed, she opened the maths notebook and decided to finish the polynomials she had left for later, as it more than likely would lift her mood a bit. 

Before that, El took her sleek mobile and browsed through it, recalling that she had received a few messages on the way there and giving a tired beam when she read the notifications alone. 

_ “You did really well today in PE, that pass scored us the final point!”  _ That, from Dorothea, was followed with a red heart emoji and a smiling face. 

_ “Hey, thanks for your help today, think I might be able to not die when doing homework later on :)”  _ Ingrid had sent that before her volleyball practice and El had to laugh at the smile at the end, her little trademark. 

Her fingers worked fast, typing in responses even if she had a feeling both of them wouldn’t see those so soon. It had felt good when Ingrid approached her to ask for help in math on Wednesday, something she gladly agreed to and passed her phone number to both of them so they could communicate better. Ever since, she got to know more about their lives and how different those were from her own and each other. 

Moreover, the feeling of aiding someone in school was familiar to her, made her feel grounded, safe and whole again. That was, for the three seconds that it had lasted without Byleth pointing out that she had forgotten to copy a number from the last line and, as a result, was going to get the wrong answer again. 

Byleth was the one person she hadn’t gotten close to - nor did she wish to, she realized as she locked her phone screen and turned back to the work in front of her, suppressing a yawn. It wasn’t a mystery that the girl probably had her number, she was friends with Dorothea and Ingrid and surely they would share it with her if she asked. It was a blessing that she hadn’t yet, the last thing Edelgard wanted was to have to feign being nice to someone that, quite frankly, she was more than sure despised her.

Only her way of showing anger was through being extra nice instead of flat out calling her names and being rude. 

Well, Edelgard huffed, Byleth’s intentions had been clear as day from the beginning. She had a younger sister that acted just the same and had a master’s degree in dealing with people like Fiona, thank you very much. The silence from her was simply the final clue that she needed to get to that verdict. And it was fine - it wasn’t as if El liked her to begin with either.

Shaking her head to move her thoughts away from Miss Perfect Student, or Perfection Incarnate, Edelgard tried focusing on the numbers in front of her, groaning since they were running into each other and making no sense at all to her tired mind. It was no use and she knew it, once she got to that state she would be better off taking a short rest and making sure her wrist was fine, too - it had protested her typing earlier and even grabbing the pen again, so that was certainly no good at all. 

Grudgingly, she abandoned her notebooks in favor of the comfy bed and tucked herself under the covers. It wasn’t too cold, but the wind outside had been chilly and she was having a tough time adjusting to that accursed weather too, preferring balmy Enbarr over the howling winds that sometimes kept her awake at night as they pummeled her windows. That was probably part of the reason why she was so tired and why she deserved a nap, she told herself as her mind was keen on reminding her she had work to do. 

Later, she thought back. Half an hour of sleep wouldn’t delay her that much anyways.

She closed her eyes when there was a bit of sunlight coming through her windows, illuminating the room with clear light. The moment she opened them again, to an insistent rapping sound that had made its way to her dreams in the form of her punching a Byleth-looking character to oblivion in a game of Fokken, it was dark all around her and she could faintly listen to several excited voices coming from around the house.

“El dear, can I come in?” Someone called from the outside and she took a few seconds to center herself in the real world again after such a good dream. 

“Oh, y-yes, please do,” she answered when she realized it was Dana, who had probably arrived from classes a few minutes ago -

What time  _ was  _ it, anyways? 

A quick glance to her phone while her tall, blonde sister came in and turned on the lights made her hiss in protest, the accusing mobile showing her it was already ten pm. She covered her eyes, more from guilt at having slept for what, five hours, than from the discomfort the sudden yellow light caused her. 

“Hey there, little sis,” Dana said with a smile, approaching the bed. She was no longer wearing her usual attire for college after work, the white pants and blouse that marked her as a nurse in training. Instead, she was in long, flowing light blue pajamas and matching slippers that made her eyes look even bluer, a small, square first aid kit on her left hand. “Fiona told me you were looking rather under the weather, so we let you sleep.”

“You should have woken me up for dinner, though, what with mom and dad being here, then Eddie, Bea, Celia -” the girl protested, meaning to get up but stopping when Dana took a seat beside her.

“You were missed and they asked about you, but we understand what it’s like to be finishing high school so yeah,” she went on, squeezing Edelgard’s shoulder with a softness that was only hers. “Dad brought you something or another to test, but he said it could wait until you’re feeling better too.”

Oh great. It wasn’t always that her father would ask her to do something like that, but of course it had to happen when she had quite literally just lost an entire day of homework. Because of something like sleeping, too. 

The furtive glance her younger sister cast to a study table laden with books and notebooks was enough to alert Dana of where her thoughts were going. The two had always been close, after all. “Oh no, you’re so not going to spend all weekend holed up with work you don’t even need to do.”

“But -”

“No buts, Edelgard von Hresvelg. If you slept that much, it was because you needed it.” She sighed, beamed a little even though her tone had been serious. Then she turned to the first aid kit on her lap and opened it. “Fiona also said you looked a tad too bruised, even for yourself. Is anything going on, El? Are you being bullied?”

_ Yes, by words and stupid corrections from a Byleth Eisner, _ she wanted to say but remained shut for a second, before caving in and telling Dana everything about that week. From her being late to Byleth being a perfect person and, of course, PE. The older Hresvelg listened to it all in silence, hands examining Edelgard’s wrist once that was mentioned and every bruise and gash that had been formed in that week.

“And yes, Byleth has been bandaging those, too. Of course she knows how to do even that,” Edelgard huffed, wincing once a recent cut was dabbed with cotton and some antiseptic thing that made it throb. 

Dana hummed low in her throat, wanting to ask something but deciding it would do more harm than good if she did. She would keep watch for the time being and voice the question once it was ok to do so, when things were calmer and her klutzy little sister wasn’t hurt and having some trouble adapting. She knew Edelgard would suffer some with the move - she loved Enbarr and her life there a tad too much, it was only natural for her to be feeling the pain of separation and all those novelties that were going on.

“Ok, I’m done with those gashes and all. But I do think it’d be better if you slept some more instead of forcing yourself to do homework that late at night. Eddie set some food aside for you, I’ll bring it here so you can eat and go back to sleep." Dana instructed, deftly closing the first aid kit. "Also, those wounds will hurt for a while and feel a tad warm, as they’re in the first stage of inflammation and those are some of the signs of it. We can apply some ice if you want to, but let me know when it stops getting all warm, then we can use heat instead.”

She rose with a fluid movement, before her sister could even think about protesting and explaining how detrimental to her academic achievements that would be. She knew Edelgard meant well and wanted to do her best, though her headstrongness was just… not nice sometimes. 

Dana was about to leave the room when a small voice called her name and she turned to see that El had gotten out of bed, only to tenderly hug her and say: “I’m so glad you did what was right for you and chose to do what you wanted. It’s visible how much you really like nursing school, Dana. And thank you for everything.”

The beam that colored her lips couldn’t be any wider even if she tried. “Thank  _ you _ for supporting me to change courses so last minute, little sis.”

With that, a last bean and some words of support, Dana went downstairs to grab the plate that had been set aside for her, then tell everyone to shut up since someone needed to rest.

True to her word, Edelgard had eaten a little and tried getting back to sleep, but it eluded her to the point that she ended up turning on the TV and her videogame, wondering if some midnight matches of Fokken wouldn’t help her mind relax. It did help, as she saw herself getting calmer and calmer every time she punched something and scored again.

That night, as well as in all the others of that week, Edelgard played by herself against the silence of the mansion she now had to live in. Although she saw that both the Ashen Demon and Singer were on, she didn’t engage with either and decided to disconnect from the internet afterwards, practicing against the AI instead. 

A dozen messages from three girls, who failed to hear from her during the day were also on her phone and went unanswered, forgotten once she cleared notifications as per habit and finally went to sleep. In her mind one sentence kept throbbing, echoing the resolution she had come to while winning those games: if Byleth wanted war, then she would have one. 

* * *

When Saturday rolled around, Edelgard was the first to leave her house in a hurry and with a strange outfit, mask and glasses on, the moment her siblings told her their parents had some weird plans she would rather not be a part of. Unknown to her, Byleth, also wearing a costume of sorts, had had a similar idea about how fun it would be to start her weekend at the arcade. 

Ingrid would also soon leave her house, heart pounding on her chest as she grabbed an origami rose she had folded the night before with Rowan's help, and Dorothea would eventually join her for their first official date in the mall where she worked. 

It would certainly be an interesting morning after some different, hectic nights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so... It got too long for chapter 3 not to be split into two! At first I wasn't going to describe Edelgard's after school life as I did the others, but then it didn't feel fair to exclude her, to be honest. 
> 
> There will be more interactions with Edelgard's siblings later on and yes, Ionius has a naming system of his own for all of those kids xD we'll get to see Rowan as well, so yeah! They'll be fun to write.
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you've enjoyed it!


	5. Multiplayer games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two people in disguises have a chill morning in the Gaming Mug, one being in awe at how fast the other defeats their opponents in Fokken.
> 
> Ingrid and Dorothea go out on their date, only for two more people to join it later on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're wondering, here's a tutorial of the origami rose that Ingrid makes for Dorothea! Those are quite fun to fold but take a while to learn so... Kudos to our girl for doing it too.
> 
> https://youtu.be/MgXXcY43B7s

Edelgard scowled behind her red sunglasses and white mask, wrists protesting as her hands worked on the unfamiliar joysticks that were part of the blue and silver arcade machine, one which towered over her and made her look even smaller. Her eyes were focused on her opponent, someone from Brigid if she had identified the little flag near their name correctly, and a really good player at that. Although she wasn’t a fan of playing Fokken on such machines, as the controllers were different and a bit bad for her petite hands, she was holding her own alright and had already defeated them in something like five minutes. 

Not her personal best, but again, her wrist wasn’t completely well after that little handball accident and she was struggling to reach the buttons given how far apart they felt like to her fingers. Even so, she simply stretched her hands and focused again when round two started, more than ready to finish it in even less time than before.

That was what Edelgard's universe had become on that Saturday morning, just she and the game she had grown to love. A part of her mind was beating itself in guilt at that, since she still had homework to be done, but the moment Edmund knocked on her door a few hours ago, hugging her since they hadn’t seen each other since the move, only to inform her that their parents had planned some sort of late brunch and walk in the park later on, she simply thanked him, gathered her costume and zoomed out of the house.

Luckily she had done more than half of her assignments before, as she had woken up very early and decided it was better to be productive, but that didn’t mean there weren’t extra exercises and reading to be done once she returned. It was a blessing that the shopping mall and more importantly, the Gaming Mug, that arcade café that Eddie had told her to visit once he saw the alarm in her eyes, opened to business around seven or so even on weekends. So after donning her oversized crimson hoodie and a silver wig underneath it, short black skirt over red tights, the glasses and the mask, plus pulling the hood around her face, she picked up a nondescript black backpack, some money and left before having any sort of breakfast despite her stomach yearning for something after all that school work. 

Apparently it had been Conrad who discovered that place, as the new Hresvelg Company had acquired a building very close to the mall and he had been curious to see what was in it during a break between meetings. According to Eddie, Con had loved their pastries and recommended them a lot, even more so since The Gaming Mug had, you guessed it, an arcade room upstairs. That was why Edelgard had made her way there, her feet deciding her fate before she could register where she was going. 

Dorothea had brought her a lemon tart the other day as a welcoming gift and said she worked there, too. That at first had been a problem, since Edelgard would rather not meet anyone from school on her secret trips to the place (which was exactly why she had thought it better to wear her costume, even if it was Saturday morning and she was pretty sure her friend didn’t work weekends), but after what she could call a cursed week, she needed some time for gaming, for eating something good and staying away from her family and the thousands of questions they would have for her if they saw her current (very bruised) state.

“Three minutes,” she mumbled to herself once round two was over. That was still a far cry from her personal best, but a start nonetheless. It was better than losing and giving in to the stupid, dull pain in her hands because of goddamn handball. Or the ache in her feet from standing up for too long, since her bumps and bruises weren't looking the best yet.

She doubted coach Ladislava would let her stay benched on Monday if she complained of an injury or a thousand, either. Given how much she had fallen and gotten hurt in front of the madwoman, who simply said she was doing amazing and improving every single day, it wouldn’t surprise her if that was the case. 

As she waited for the machine to find her another opponent, she ran her eyes over the empty place, revelling in how good it was to have it all to herself. Though the sunglasses made everything look gloomy, she knew it was a beautiful sunny day, the sky stark blue in a way that she had never seen before, and the few clouds that dotted it stood to the sides, unobtrusive to the enchanting sight. The taste of a blueberry cream danish she'd eaten before lingered in her mouth, the richness and tartness of it a welcome change from the hasty breakfasts she had consumed through the week, mostly bread and cheese or croissants. 

It was in that moment, while masked, in a costume and pretty much unrecognizable, that she found true peace. Even the pain in her entire body was nothing more than a mere afterthought, the joy of being somewhere familiar and doing something she loved overcoming everything and every thought that had made her feel downcast for the last few days. Right then, it didn’t matter where she was, how amazing her grades were or how Byleth always got the right answers and corrected her all the time. It didn’t matter that she was a Hresvelg and her parents had made the game that she was playing on that Saturday morning. 

The one thing that mattered, as her fingers flew through buttons and she ended the match in a timing that topped not only her personal best, but the machine’s as well, was that she was Edelgard. Just Edelgard.

Happy with herself and satisfied with that result, she barely noticed what name she input when the machine asked her for one, since she had beaten the general high score, and the fact that another person had also entered the room and watched in some sort of awe at how fast she won that match.

If she had been more perceptive, however, she would have seen a figure not so different from herself. They were equally covered by a hoodie, one that was green instead of red, as well as light grey pants that went all the way to their royal blue sneakers. A shock of green hair could be seen under the hood if one looked closely, and their faces were covered by sunglasses with huge lenses and emerald frames. 

Behind those glasses, cornflower blue eyes froze for a moment and watched as that new, unknown kid beat their opponent to death with nothing more than a few combos and some well-placed counters. Those were the fastest two matches that Byleth had ever seen in her life and she stood there in awe, mouth agape, unsure of what to do. Where had that child come from and what was their secret?

She had a burning desire to go there and ask them for help, one masked player to another. Her feet even edged forward, wanting to bridge that gap and maybe strike a friendship with someone who was clearly a younger, yet brilliant Fokken player. However, her heart raced when she thought about being discovered in some way or another.

What if that kid went to Garreg Mach High and knew her? Yeah, that did sound preposterous, but just the other day Byleth had received a basket of goodies from second years alongside a thank-you note for her help not only as leader of the welcoming committee, but also all through their first year of high school. The last thing she wanted was for her image of a perfect student and charitable soul to be ruined by a little kid who had seen her gaming and recognized her, or something. 

That was why in the end she pouted, imagining how if she were a dog or something her ears would be pressed all the way down, and went to a machine on the other side of the room, one in which the child would neither see nor hear her if such a thing was possible. Rolling one of the coins she had just purchased downstairs on her index and middle finger, she pushed it into the arcade and got ready for a round of pinball, not willing to risk getting into a Fokken match with them and so on. 

Byleth had been having a couple of weird days, all things considered. Despite being able to help Beleth and her solution actually working, he had been growing more and more distant as days went by. She didn’t know why and no matter how much she had tried pressing him, offering a second controller (or even the first) to him or just altogether leaving the TV vacant so he could watch it if he wanted to, he wouldn’t say what was visibly bothering him. 

Hell, she had even contemplated telling him she would wash the dishes, cook, or shoulder part of his assignments for Fish and Eat ‘Em as long as it made him happy, but of course everything had a limit. She wasn’t about to put in extra hours of work on top of her own (watching the latest animations and cartoons, staying up to date with graphic novels and web series or playing every challenging game she could put her hands on) if she had a feeling that wouldn’t matter and he wouldn’t say a word even then. 

And of course now she had the issue of being almost one thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine percent certain that Edelgard disliked her. And that her friends Dorothea and Ingrid were too busy with the new girl to actually want to do stuff with her. 

It was the first weekend in forever that she hadn’t been invited over for a movie night or ice-cream in the afternoon, two of Dorothea’s favorite things to do with her and Ingrid when the weekend arrived and they had no test to study for. She had been waiting for an invitation on Friday, even though mostly the brunette started making plans on Thursday due to the anticipation of seeing her friends outside of school, but nothing had come. Then Ingrid had also been silent, but Byleth supposed that it was to be expected since they had been given a lot of math homework and she knew her friend struggled the most with it.

When she had thought about offering help with those assignments, though, she turned around on her table to find Edelgard coaching the blonde with a smile on her lips, looking relaxed and in her element for the first time since she had arrived in Garreg Mach High.

Sulking just the tiniest bit, Byleth had given it a sad smile and went back to her own notebooks, speedrunning through homework before the teacher could even say which exercises they were supposed to solve after school. It was her usual way of making sure she wouldn’t have too much to do once she did arrive at her gaming and snacking haven, to the point that any leftover assignment could be managed as long as she woke up a little bit earlier the day it was due. 

Nothing was more sacred than an afternoon playing Fokken and watching good cartoons, after all. Something she wished she could play right then and would be, if she weren't in the company of a very skilled player.

Once every ten seconds she would turn around and look at the kid, silently urging them to either move on to another game or just leave altogether so she could play instead. There was a limit to how entertaining pinball could be, even though she had just managed to beat the top score in that machine and input her name absentmindedly. What she really wanted, what had gotten her out of bed so early, was to kick and punch some people in the game that was actually her life. 

Eventually that moment came more than half an hour later. Two people had arrived, adults that were probably goofing around, a carefree blonde and a purple-haired woman with what seemed like a more permanent scowl on her face, and claimed machines too close to the other kid's. As if that had been some sort of sign, or if they, too, didn’t want to be identified, they ended a match as fast as they could and finished their session, going downstairs in a clumsy, limping sort of hurry and not even bothering to pick the rest of the coins they had left on the machine. 

Well, Byleth wasn’t one to complain about free rounds. Before either of the boisterous newcomers could think about getting that arcade, she ran there and took hold of the coins, noticing how warm they still were. Shrugging and accepting the half a dozen tokens, she put one into the machine and started her own session, wondering if those would give her luck since they had belonged to the fastest Fokken player - and masked runner - she had ever seen before.

* * *

Ingrid was glad she had decided to walk to the mall instead of just taking a bus there or something, as along the way she was able to pay attention to how cheerful and promising the day seemed to be. Sunlight slanted on the colorful houses, made the trees shine emerald and the streets silver under their beams. The middle-sized paper rose in her hands gleamed red as well, though that was probably just her thoughts running amok and confused, not an actual effect of sunlight in itself. 

All in all, the one thing she could do was hope that the weather being that amazing was a good pressage to her date, too. Only thinking about it made Ingrid’s heart beat in triple speed, but Rowan had assured her that it was fine, that she would be fine and that date was more of an _expiration date_ since Ingrid had taken that long to ask Dorothea out. 

Now there she was, crossing the streets with little to no attention about what was going on around her, feet moving on autopilot, on muscle memory due to the many times she had visited the Gaming Mug on weekends with her sibling and best friend in tow. Hence she had to blink at least twice when her feet took her from the jagged path of the streets outside to the smoother grounds of the shopping mall, one that wasn’t really crowded since it was indeed Saturday morning, but there were some people here and there shopping, strolling with their families and having breakfast by themselves or with loved ones. 

A glance on her simple, silver watch revealed that she was half an hour early and maybe it would be a good idea for her to wait in the entrance hall, where there were some dark green couches over a cream-colored rug and a crystal, circular central table for some people to sit and rest at the center, right in front of the sliding glass doors. Some stores stood to her left and right, aligned, orderly, illuminated and open for business. 

The complete opposite of her mind, which was running in circles, scattered, unable to form coherent sentences and tell her what to do.

She sat down, clutching at her faded jeans and the buttons on the one flannel shirt her sibling had smuggled into the house just for her, a blue and black one that went well with everything and made her feel somewhat freer, too. Only being away from the house and from her father was already a good thing, but to do so while wearing what she wanted and not the stupid, frilly dresses her parents forced both of them to use was extra rewarding in a way. It could be stupid, but at least dressed like that, she felt a lot more like herself -

“Oh my, and here I thought I’d be too early.”

The lilting, familiar voice that had accompanied her through life had the effect of both pulling her away from that trail of thoughts and making her jump to her feet, a blush already coloring her cheeks and making her emerald irises look shinier. But then, it was tough not to be always impressed by Dorothea, though in that moment she was actually stunning.

Always one to impress, the brunette had pinned some of her hair behind, letting it fall around her back and some strands frame her face with their silky curlicules. Her deep green eyes were subtly etched with makeup, some eyeliner and eyeshadow that made her seem even more beautiful than before, though in Ingrid’s opinion Dorothea would be the kind of person to be gorgeous even when waking up after a bad night of sleep.

Yeah, she knew she idolized the girl a bit too much but again, it was difficult not to. She could barely take stock of Thea’s dress; her face was already too breathtaking to look away from.

“H-hey, I’m really glad you came,” Ingrid stuttered, unsure about what to say and feeling a bit too predictable in her one braid and such simple clothes. Fidgeting with the rose she had managed to hide between her almost clasped palm, she was eventually able to glance away from the other girl and around the stores, though nothing there actually caught her attention.

She wanted to curse herself for doing this, even if she had wanted to for the longest time. She wanted to curse Rowan for talking her into it, even if they had just prompted her to do what her heart desired. 

So why in all the blue blazes was said heart hammering like it never had before and she found it hard to speak around her dearest friend, someone she had known for that long?

“Of course, my Ingrid! I was so happy you invited me out too and not just to our usual stuff,” Dorothea smiled, blatantly running her eyes up and down the blonde. “My, don’t you clean up nicely for some ice cream in the mall, Miss Galatea.”

Oh no. It would certainly NOT go well if Dorothea started teasing her like that. 

“Please, don’t,” she whined, glanced down at their feet, cheeks turning more crimson than the rose in her hands. Oh wait… “Here! This uh, this is for you.” She extended the origami to the other girl and finally looked up, eager to see her reaction and how right Rowan had been to make that suggestion - and that it had been worth it to lose so many hours of sleep trying to master that damn fold to begin with.

The emerald eyes that at first had been curious and playful, remnants of that early wish to banter still encased in it, bloomed with something like surprise and care when they took in the object that Ingrid had given her, the complex, intricate rose that seemed to hold so much tenderness in it, Thea thought she would explode from the gesture.

For the first time in what felt like forever, it was Dorothea’s turn to be speechless instead of rendering others like that. She kept looking at the rose, all of its delicate, curving petals and the edges that showed some indentations from Ingrid’s fingers. Before, she had been having a hard time believing this was real, that her dear Ingie had asked her out on a date - and used the actual word too. Then, she couldn’t even imagine if she was worthy of it, of the pretty flower resting in her hand, paper-light, an almost perfect replica of the real one.

And all done by Ingrid, sweet, jock Ingrid who as far as Thea knew had never done a paper airplane before.

“It’s bad, isn’t it? I’m sorry, I really tried and- “

“Oh hush, you fool,” Dorothea interrupted once she realized what had been said. “This is amazing and I love it so much. I- I truly have no words other than… thank you, my Ingrid.”

The moment she stepped closer to the blonde and leaned forward to place a peck on her cheeks, Ingrid was sure that she hadn’t just seen stars, she had become one of them too.

After that they fell into a companionable stroll around the mall, with Dorothea telling some or several stories about things she had witnessed while working there. Ingrid found herself relaxing, giggles turning into full-on laughs as more and more outrageous things were spoken in secret. She asked questions, contributed with her own tales of childhood and other incidents growing up as a Galatea, which meant visiting the mall for lunch after services on Sundays and being so hungry, she would eat almost hers and her sibling’s meal afterwards.

It was just that easy to be with Thea, even if for the first time they were actually walking side by side as more than just friends, the paper rose in Dorothea’s hand a statement for it. In the beginning Ingrid had kept her arms crossed, but after a while she relaxed them, then on a bout of bravery, laced one of hers with the brunette’s and watched the prettiest smile coming over her face, enlightening her emerald eyes, interrupting her tale of a child who almost ran outside of a shoe store with two different shoes on their feet.

And thus they went, bodies pressed closer than normal, attracting some stares that they didn’t even care about since there weren’t that many people in there to begin with. Eventually they rounded a corner and were in front of a food court, with the Gaming Mug on the outer wall, standing between a huge bookstore and a gaming store. They beamed at it and contemplated playing some games later on, but first and foremost it was ice cream time (finally, as all that walking had made Ingrid’s belly rumble once or twice, to her embarrassment).

“I love the sheer variety and the colors in that bowl of yours, my Ingrid,” Dorothea chuckled once they had paid for the treat and sat in one of the wooden circular tables located in the middle of the food court, next to a small fountain that had some penguins in white marble, their opened beaks letting water flow. 

“I uh… couldn’t decide,” the blonde sheepishly admitted, glancing at her oversized bowl that had everything under the moon: blueberry, blue cotton candy, choco mint, lemonade, orange and red velvet ice cream, then chocolate sprinkles and warm, dark chocolate sauce poured over the combination of smaller and bigger scoops. Had she overreacted and got a tad too much? “You’re more than free to grab some of mine, too.”

Dorothea laughed, eyeing her strawberry and chocolate scoops with a pout. Maybe she should have gone for more just as the blond had. “At least we didn’t get the same flavors.” An idea came to mind and she acted on it, dipping her spoon into both of the flavors on her bowl before offering it. “Here, this is amazing and I think you’ll love it.”

It had the expected result, too. Ingrid blushed, eyes widening, her mind going blank. Was that really ok? Or would it be something… intimate, awkward? Well, food was food wasn’t it? She leaned forward, curious, her heart speeding up due to the gesture, and allowed Thea to feed her, vowing to do the same soon (once she had gotten over it, that was).

Both bowls were placed in the middle of the table and shared after a while, in the same way they shared impressions and stories about themselves and their week, everything that had gone on in their homes too - Dorothea kind of always asked her for a report on that, as she knew how Ingrid’s parents weren’t the best, and worried dearly on how the blonde and her sibling were being treated. 

Ingrid was halfway through it, telling about the latest threat related to her math grades, when a figure caught their attention and they both turned, conversation forgotten, to watch it quickly dart out of the Gaming Mug and into the hallway, a flash of red and black that was gone as soon as it had appeared. The two girls shared a glance, shrugged and returned to the issue at hands, not making a comment about that either since they didn't know exactly what they had seen. 

And perhaps they would have forgotten about the entire ordeal if a few minutes later, when they were halfway through the ice cream and Dorothea was talking about some of her latest antics with Manuela, they hadn’t spotted another hooded person leaving as fast as the first, this time in green and silver instead.

“What’s up with the arcade today? Is there some sort of hoodie cult convention?” Thea inquired, frowning and helping herself to more orange and lemonade ice cream. Who would have thought that all the mixing her date had done could be so good.

“I hope not, I wanted to go there later on but eh,” Ingrid sighed, rubbing her temples. “Anyway, please go on. So you guys received some sort of noise complaint?”

“Yeah and we weren’t even singing that loud to begin with. Also, it was only nine pm so I don’t see the reason for it to happen. That’s why we got that karaoke machine to start with and it’s so much - Wait, is that…” The brunette stopped midway through her ramblings and beamed, waving as if she were on a ship and saying goodbye to the people on land. “Ediiiiiiiie! Why don’t you join us?”

The mention of the new girl’s nickname was enough to make Ingrid snap her head sideways, a bit too fast so her neck muscles groaned a bit because of it. Nevertheless she smiled and gave a smaller wave too, unsure about why her heart had picked up its pace again and on what she was feeling at the moment. 

Should she be mad at Dorothea for inviting the other girl over when they were in the middle of a date? But then why did it feel good to watch Edelgard fumble with whatever she had just gotten, placing it inside a different backpack than the one she normally used and slowly approach them, a slight limp to her steps due to all those times she had fallen in PE?

Why did Ingrid's chest flutter anew with her proximity, even though she was still hyper aware of how Dorothea squeezed her knee underneath the table with one hand?

She just hoped she would survive that day, all in all.

“Good morning, I didn’t expect to see anyone from school here this early,” Edelgard greeted them with a polite beam, standing just beside Ingrid in a loose, simple black dress that stopped a little under her knees, a thin red coat over it and dark shoes over short red socks. It made Ingrid internally wince when she saw her calves covered in bruises, blue, yellow or greenish blemishes on different parts of their healing processes.

“Hey Edie! It’s almost noon anyways but yeah, I didn’t think you’d be one to come to a shopping mall this early either.” Dorothea winked, beaming more when that made her narrow her eyes.

“Wh-why don’t you sit with us and have some ice cream?” Ingrid blurted before she could think better about it, still unsure of how to act in a situation like that. “I uh, I got too much.”

“If you wouldn’t mind me staying, then sure,” Edelgard retorted, the question in her eyes slowly giving away to something soft and delighted, a vision that pleased both girls in front of her. She sat beside Ingrid and curiously looked at the remaining ice cream. “Hm, you do have a good assortment here. I like how the colors go together well.”

Both Dorothea and her laughed when Ingrid finally realized she had picked up scoops that together made a perfect, now destroyed rainbow. The way her eyes widened and she blushed was too hilarious, though that only hid a racing mind.

“There, there, this is amazing,” El said, patting the blonde’s shoulder to appease her while accepting a spoon from Dorothea. “And this orange one is really good, too.”

“Yeah this place is amazing, I love it so so much,” Thea agreed, leaning forward and crossing her arms over the table. “Usually Ingrid, Byleth and I come here every weekend to have some ice cream there, it’s kind of our place.”

“Really?” Edelgard raised an eyebrow at a certain name, something that wasn’t lost on either of them. “And where is Byleth now?”

“Oh that’s not it this time,” Ingrid spoke up, realizing a second too late that she had walked into her own grave. “We’re uh - this is a -”

“My dear Ingrid invited me on a date and that’s it,” Dorothea concluded with a cheeky smile, lacing her fingers with the blonde’s under the table before uplifting it for the newcomer to see. 

She beamed even more when Edelgard turned more crimson than the red velvet ice cream and Ingrid buried her face behind her spare hand, doing her best to hide from that situation. If the two had a competition to see who was the most flustered one, it'd be a close call.

“Oh uh I… I am sorry, I should not interrupt your date and uh, you look absolutely loving together, ha I-” Edelgard stammered, trying to say something, to get up, to place her spoon back to where it had been before, anything at all, but neither her body nor her mind were working in that moment.

Dorothea had to keep herself from giggling at those two fools, but one step at a time. She leaned forward a little more and placed a hand on Edelgard’s, squeezing it in order to make her calm down. “Oh pf, stop making such a fuss, Edie dear. You’re more than welcome here, isn’t she, Ingrid?” 

When the blonde did nothing more than nod, hand still covering her eyes, Edelgard sighed and relaxed her shoulders, easing herself into the chair again and grabbing another spoonful of ice cream to fill in the silent moment.

Yet no matter what was going on and how Dorothea tried making small talk with both of them, Ingrid wouldn't take her hands off her face or engage in the topic at hands with more than a nod or a shake of her head. It was as if the last few minutes had been a tad too much for her, to the point that Edelgard placed a hand on her shoulder again and shook it the slightest.

"Hey, you don't have to pretend that it's ok if it's not." She knew well enough how awful it was to feel lost and out of her element in a situation or another - PE was there to remind her of it, and that wasn't even the worst possible case. "Do you want me to go? I can if that's the case and it will be fine, too."

It took a while for Ingrid to respond, but when she did she finally stopped covering her face and had indeed gotten a better hold of her thoughts. There was no reason to do any of it and want to hide, she realized. It was just her nature to do so and it had kept her from many, many things before. Like asking Dorothea out on a real date. Now though, she vowed to herself that it wouldn't influence her, or stop her from doing what she wanted to.

Yes, she was unsure about her emotions and what exactly was going on, how she was supposed to deal with it, all of it, but that didn't mean she couldn't at least follow her heart and try to stay calm.

"No, I- I'm ok. I want you here," Ingrid whispered, mentally rolling her eyes at the small "wow" she got from Thea because of it. "Would you like more ice cream? We can get a new bowl and share or maybe uh-"

"No, it's ok." El shook her head, visibly relaxing since the two other girls looked a lot more at ease with the entire situation too. The last thing she wanted was not only to interrupt a date, but make someone feel uncomfortable. "Thanks for inviting me, really."

"No worries, it's cool to have you -"

"Can I come over too?"

The softly spoken sentence made them turn around with small yelps of surprise. Ingrid and Dorothea were already smiling once their eyes fell upon Byleth, who was wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt that made her eyes shine, dark pants, a black backpack that seemed to be filled to the brim and black sneakers with short ankle socks. That was a typical, casual attire she had worn to all the occasions in which she had met her friends on Saturday, one that they were used to and liked just the same.

However, it wasn't lost on Byleth that even Edelgard had been called to that gathering and she hadn't. And they had shared ice cream, even! Had the new girl completely taken her place within her friends? Could she read the situation like that and if so, what had she been doing wrong? 

"Hey By! Of course you can, please have a seat, grab a spoon," Dorothea motioned towards the last remaining chair beside her, then to what was left of Ingrid's bowl. "You know the drill already, Ingy here helped herself to a lot and we were sharing. Then Edie came along and we decided to call her over too."

Ah, so she _had_ read it wrong after all, Edelgard hadn't been there from the beginning, she had been called over by her friends. That was reassuring and a lot better, but what was she doing there after that hell of a first week of classes, though? And with one weird backpack as well? 

Yes, she was carrying a similar one. But she had a costume and wig to hide in it so… that was her excuse (and if anyone asked, she uh, had swimming practice with her brother later in the day and had stopped in the mall to get him some body lotion, since his skin was sensitive to chloride. No matter how true or false that was, it would at least cover her bases).

"That's really good and I'm happy to see you outside of school, Edelgard." That was said with a smile, as Byleth took the last spoon and got whatever was left of the ice cream. Ugh, that was amazing and hit a soft spot - she would need to go back for more before returning home. 

For the time being, she would have to keep her love of all things sweet and snackable very well concealed, or else her friends could start having a wrong opinion about her. 

"I can say the same to you," she replied in a curt way, averting her gaze and focusing it on the bookstore, the food places around them, the fountain, anywhere else instead of the girl beside her.

Yep, Byleth thought with a sinking heart and eyes that flashed with sadness for a swift moment, the new girl really didn't like her at all. Even though she kept that feeling behind a wall of nonchalance, a giggle and a beam, she secretly wondered why. Or what she had done to earn that treatment from Edelgard, after all the help she'd been trying to give her so she'd adapt to the new school and new class. 

Should she keep away, then? Should Byleth stop bandaging her wounds and asking if she was fine on PE, if she had brought lunch and snacks, or if she had any questions about the school system? Would distance and silence make that kid feel better? 

There was some silence while the ice cream was finished between Ingrid and Byleth, until Dorothea suggested they meandered around a bit, maybe went into some stores for fun and just took a look around. While others felt somewhat tense, she seemed to be ecstatic to have all three girls with her, to the point that she ended up grabbing Ingrid's and Byleth's hands before pulling them along, with Ingrid then latching into Edie's hand for support as well. 

"Is this your first time here?" Byleth politely inquired, trudging beside the new girl and wondering if there was something she could say or do to remedy whatever it was that she had done in the past. But no matter what, she couldn't just ignore Edelgard. It felt too wrong only to think about it, not only because they had the same friends now. It was simply beyond Byleth to do something like that.

"Yes, though some of my siblings have been here before and recommended some places to me. Like the bookstore right there," _and the game store beside it, plus the café, but we don't talk about those_ , she thought, grinning to herself. It was a relief that no one had seen her getting out of the gaming store before too, as she tucked the newest release of a rhythm game she adored into her backpack, between a wig and a hoodie.

"Let's go there, then? It is a lovely store, I agree," Ingrid offered, still glad that Edelgard had taken her feelings into consideration earlier on. For some that would have been a minor thing, but not to her. 

Not to someone who was daily ignored at home and had been so for years.

And so they did start at the bookstore, showing the place around and acting as actual sellers. Whenever Dorothea saw Edie get a book, she would pick it up, read the description and the price, then announce it to the other girl as if she were indeed trying to convince Edelgard to buy it. Since that happened quite a few times, the other three got into the fun as well, though Edelgard never played announcer to Byleth and scowled during the one time the taller girl did it to her. It was hilarious to see them acting out as big, proud announcers of a revolutionary product, voices rising and falling depending on the character they were portraying, and too tough not to laugh at the impersonations that were done - even more so when Dorothea used the origami rose she had received, then put as a decorative part of her purse, as a microphone.

In the end nobody bought anything but nevertheless it was fun, even more so when they accidentally attracted the salespeople's attention and watched them roll their eyes at how stupid the four girls were being. But then well, they did manage to make some customers laugh along so… that had to be a plus at the very least. 

Dorothea was literally humming to herself when they stepped outside, noticing how the mall was starting to get a bit more crowded and soon enough a few stores would be packed, including the Gaming Mug. She of course beamed at that, glad to have weekends off since she was a student, and would have gone on walking if Ingrid hadn't dug in her heels and stood in place. 

"What is it, dear?" She asked since she had had her arms linked with both Ingrid and Byleth, and Edelgard stood on the blonde's other side, everyone skidding to a halt when she stopped.

"Tourney." The word was whispered with so much reverence, the others had to creep closer in order to really make it out.

That was also when they realized they were staring at the gaming shop door, a sliding glass one that gave the view of a nice, tidy interior with shelves upon shelves of games old and new standing on soothing dark blue carpet, as well as consoles set up on full display on their own racks in the middle of the room. Upstairs, there was a huge place which was often used for championships given its size, good internet connection and overall structure, the amount of people it could host at once and the amazing heater and air conditioning system that was always a plus.

What had really caught Ingrid's - and now all of their - eyes, however, was a white piece of paper etched with huge, black letters. It announced that indeed there would be a Fokken tournament a month from then, one that would mark the beginning of the Oghma Mountains circuit and could help guaranteeing a place on regionals for that coming year, too. 

The four girls stared at it, transfixed, mentally taking notes of the day and time it would happen. Yes, Garreg Mach was famous for hosting such competitions, but it was always nice to see it starting and maybe get a chance to join the fray again. For some that would be nothing more than routine. For others, the opportunity of a lifetime to compete in the epicenter of so many Fokken championships that had taken place in the past.

"Oh goddess, I want to sign up for it so badly," Dorothea whispered, the first to get out of that stupor.

"Be careful though, you don't want something like this to take your attention away from your studies right?" Byleth piped in, quickly shaking her head to dispel the thoughts that had brewed in. She had to come back there later, alone, and sign up for it. She _had_ to - and lucky thing the store owners already knew her disguise and allowed her to use the Ashen Demon name like that.

"Oh right… it'll be when our exams start," Ingrid mumbled a bit gloomy, but kept staring at it even so. "I mean, as long as we balance both it'll be fine!"

"Exams?" Edelgard exclaimed, as she had heard nothing about then to that point and was glad they were finally mentioned. Uh oh. Did she need to start doing her extra study sessions already? "When will those take place?"

"I'll send you the calendar later, I guess I forgot to do it throughout the week," Byleth said with a smile, ignoring her frown at it. "But yes, our examination week will be the one after this uh... Focan, Fucan, Fokken thing, if memory serves."

"Ugh, we have to try, though," Dorothea whined, ready to drag her Ingrid inside. "You can make your debut as PegasusKnight! You've been getting a lot better in the game as of late. Cmon, Ingriiiiiiid."

The blonde stared; Thea's words and her tone were just too convincing and it would be so easy to simply parade inside and put her name on the list… "I don't know," she sighed, torn. "I need to get better at math first, or else my father will make me clean the entire house alone for every single day during break. Including his closet."

"Wait, your father will make you do _what_?" Edelgard asked, taken aback with what she had heard. Pushing aside the thought of going back to the mall and signing up in another day, she focused on that and went on: "That is completely out of this world and I'm pretty sure it's illegal to actually enslave a teenager like -"

"Eh, that's who he is, though," Ingrid shrugged, eyes downcast as she motioned for them to keep moving and attempted to ignore the call to play at the tourney. "And if I fail math again, he'll just do worse."

Somehow that stuck something inside of El, as if she has been personally offended by a matter that wasn't even her own to begin with. It was undeniable that she hated when people were treated unfairly, even more so with things like that. After all, she had been judged and called names plenty of times throughout her life, due to other issues and circumstances than the ones that Ingrid seemed to be facing. It didn't mean she couldn't relate and try to help in any way she could think of, right?

Hence she stomped, making the others halt and look at her, before saying: "Ingrid Brandl Galatea, as you know I do not care at all about video games and yes, I think you should focus more on your studies than anything else." It had been harder to say that than she thought it would be; it was all for a good cause anyways. "But I insist that you go into that place and participate in the tourney. I'll teach you math until you can solve polynomials in your sleep, with your eyes folded and your hands stuck behind your back."

The three stood and stared at her, unsure of how to read her actions or words just then. It was clear by the light in her lilac eyes that she really meant it, that she really wanted to help Ingrid and let her compete as well. The reason for it was unknown, yes, but in any case it made all of them smile and realize that underneath that cold, detached facade there was someone who seemed to care about her friends. 

And that, if they were reading the situation right, Edelgard did consider them her friends. 

Well, most of them anyways.

"Yes, I agree with her," Byleth chimed in, inspired by what she had seen. "I'll help too if you want! Maybe we can start studying together and not only for math or something, I don't know. I won't always be able to do it or attend gatherings if we agree on it but it's an idea."

"Hmpf, already ditching up on work, are we?" El commented, eyeing Byleth sideways. Of course she would turn it into an opportunity to let others know how amazing she was, only to get out of that and go do whatever world-changing thing she did in her free time. 

"Oh Edie, Byleth's a very busy person and not only because of volleyball after class," Dorothea explained, placing a hand on each of the mentioned girls' shoulders. They were both so tense, she ended up kneading them a bit to loosen them up. "She's… Byleth really is something else and such an inspiration too." Here she and the blue-haired girl looked at one another and beamed, the look they shared filled with mutual admiration. Dorothea couldn't fathom why that had been directed at her, though, and could only guess it had been misplaced. "But in any case, yeah I agree with this idea. I do have work until around eight, but I'm sure Manuela would love getting some extra food for us afterwards."

"Would you really do this for me?" Ingrid queried, almost crying due to all the emotions running through her heart. It had been such an incredible day, what with the date, then Edelgard and Byleth coming and now… 

And now all those people were getting together to let her know they had her back. And that, for different reasons and in different ways, they wanted her to both do well on her tests and play in the tourney as she wanted to, no matter what her father had said about video games and her awful math grades.

"Absolutely," Edelgard beamed, her voice gentle as she forgot for one second that she was supposed to sneer at Byleth and her alleged amazingness. "It will be nice to help if I can."

"Drop the modesty, it doesn't sit well with you, Miss Hresvelg," Dorothea giggled, then surprised everyone by gathering them in a group hug, ignoring their initial protests and stiffness at it. "It's settled them, we can talk more details through the weekend and maybe start on Monday."

That was met with murmurs and nods of approval, then chuckles when the gaming store clerk came to ask them what that ruckus was about. Byleth and Edelgard waited in silence as Dorothea and Ingrid went in to get their registrations completed, each one concocting when and how they would go there and do the same in the future. 

The rest of the day was spent in companionable conversations, some bantering and a few jokes (especially when Dorothea asked Edelgard if something had happened the day before, as she didn't answer any of her messages; the latter was surprised to see how many she had completely ignored and apologized to the three of them, but didn't elaborate on what had occurred. It was too easy to distract them with something else, some gossip about the teachers that got Dorothea talking). They eventually left the mall to go be with their families or do more school work, but their minds stayed together through the entire Saturday, reliving those moments and all that had made that day so special for each and every single one of them.

On Sunday, the registration corner at the gaming store dealt with not only one, but two masked kids who went there in different moments to sign in for the tournament. One, a known figure in greens and silver, registered as the Ashen Demon. The other, a new addition in red and black, used the intriguing name of Flaming Eagle. As soon as this second person left, there was some speculation about how good they were or if they were trying to be a cheap ripoff of the Ashen Demon, but that could and would only be decided soon enough, on the championship itself. 

There was one month to go until the matches began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Ingrids were harmed during the making of this chapter...
> 
> I hope 
> 
> Hahaha jokes aside, our girls are definitely going to have more time together out of school now! And there's a tournament coming too, so wonder how that will play out right?
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great week!


	6. Best of Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As promised, Ingrid, Dorothea and Edelgard study together for their exams, with Byelth occasionally making an appearance like on that night. 
> 
> Later on it's time for the first tournament in the Oghma Mountains circuit and the four girls end up facing each other.

“So in year 700 the Kingdom declared its independence -”

“No, not year 700. Imperial Year 751, Ingrid,” Edelgard corrected for the second time in that study session alone and something like the tenth in that week. Her gaze relented when the girl in front of her winced, berating herself for the repeated mistake. “Don’t worry, historical dates are tough.”

“I mean, real life dates are difficult enough to begin with,” Dorothea added, winking when three sets of groans accompanied that.

“Thea darling, you’ll scare them away if you keep interrupting like that,” Manuela said after snickering from her place on the dining table. She shook her head before clicking at something on the computer again. “Though you do have a point anyways.”

It was hard not to laugh at that; of course Dorothea’s guardian had to jump in and say something of the sorts. Chuckling a bit was good, since it broke the tension that had started gathering in Ingrid’s shoulders and made her able to focus on what they were trying to review on that day.

As promised, the girls had started studying together after school and work were dealt with. Mostly they kept to Dorothea’s place, as it was located somewhat closer to everyone else’s and they could at least enjoy some peace and quiet there. Edelgard hadn’t even offered to have them over at the mansion, as there was always more than one sibling in it by the time they started their study sessions and the last thing she wanted was to be mocked by Fiona, or become the talk of the dinner table later on. 

Ingrid had gotten a “free pass” to go, as long as her grades actually improved and she was able to help cleaning the house once she was back, a detail she had kept hidden from her friends - even more so El, who seemed to hate that and have some sort of personal vendetta against Ingrid’s father already, even though she had never met the man. Whenever he and his antics were mentioned, her lilac eyes would turn into a scary shade of dark purple, not so unlike how they did if Byleth was around.

Usually Byleth wasn’t, at least not for extra studies, as she had her responsibilities after school (something about taking care of lost animals in a NGO some days a week and actually cooking at home since her brother was helpless with it- aka gaming and leaching cartoons, but nobody needed to know the truth), but she had joined them on that night. She was sitting beside Manuela, on the opposite corner of the table from where Edelgard and Ingrid were, trying to focus on her own extra homework and not think about some issues which were bothering her.

The first one was why she was there, when she could be at home playing more video games, practicing for the tourney and having more sweets, since Manuela’s idea of an ideal serving size on that amazing cake she had ordered for them had been too small. Three slices weren’t enough to satisfy her at all - they only made her want more, but it would be impolite of her to ask.

The second, which in her opinion just made matters worse, was what she had done in some crazy past life that unfortunately she couldn’t remember in order to make Edelgard hate her like that. That was the only explanation, right? There was no reason why the girl would send her scathing glances and just glare at her out of the blue, or when she corrected something that El had just said, or… well, when she pretty much just took a louder breath than she should. No matter how much Byleth had been trying to get on her good side, to make her laugh and feel more at ease in Garreg Mach, it seemed that her sheer presence was enough to instantly sour Edelgard’s mood.

Finally the third, and by far the most excruciating one… was why Dorothea was making so many stupid mistakes in her matches and how she couldn’t correct them without calling attention to herself and her gaming expertise. 

Thea had been done with revisions a lot earlier, since History of Fódlan was one of her favorite subjects and she was amazing at it, thus she decided it had been a tiresome day and plopped down in front of the living room TV after picking up her console from upstairs. Ingrid had ogled it with want, her hands instinctively grabbing one of the controllers once her friend paraded too close to the table with it, but Edelgard had snatched her hand away and told her to focus.

“You can play it later, once we are done with this,” the smaller girl had replied, though it wasn’t lost on Byleth how she, too, eyed the console with a tinge of need that was surely in her own eyes too. 

Funny enough, at times she did catch Edelgard staring at the TV instead of the book that she and Ingrid were reading from, then muttering something under her breath that sounded a lot like a correction instead of, who knew, a curse at the fact that video games existed. It made Byleth arc up a brow - and unknown to her, Edelgard had done the same when she caught Byleth not doing her extra homework, but glancing at the TV and shaking her head, whispering as well.

Weird things - and Edelgard’s death glares - aside, she had to admit it was fun to hang out after the school day was over. Sure, she missed her gaming and her cartoons but that was fine, she had programmed the TV to record them so she would watch everything until around 3am, then take a nap and be ready for classes. As long as she had enough snacks to give her energy beforehand, she would be more than fine. Also, no one was forcing her to be there - it was only the third night she had attended in a period of two weeks, though the girls had been at it every single day since their Saturday spent together in the mall. And she went there out of…

Out of what, exactly? It was a pain to have to say goodbye to her Fokken matches in the late afternoon, then pretend she had just been busy grooming dogs or the likes when she met up with them in the mall before they went to Dorothea’s home. Even she couldn’t understand or try explaining why she was going, what she was doing there, but in a sense it was better than simply staying home and wondering if Bernie would visit so she would have someone to play with.

Granted, she wasn’t doing any of the playing in there, but still. There was company, there was bantering and there was Manuela asking them what they wanted for dinner so she could order and make them happy, no matter how silly the request was. That home life was so different, so much livelier than her own, that Byleth had to admit there was something appealing about it. Something that was a lot nicer than her just having fun all afternoon and evening long by herself.

“You look awfully thoughtful today, dear,” Manuela whispered to her once Ingrid went on trying to memorize dates and Edelgard either softly corrected her, or encouraged her with a beautiful smile. “is something bothering you?”

Byleth looked down at her homework, trying to tune out her thoughts and how Dorothea grunted in protest at the living room, muttering curses at how that “stupid good-for-nothing little dragon wasn’t going to defeat her.” Even so, her hands curled into fists and she had to stop herself from telling her friend that her opponent was really weak to a side-B, down-A combo. “No, nothing really, but thanks for asking.”

If disbelief had a face, it would be Manuela’s perfectly raised eyebrows and the smirk that added to them. “You can tell me if you want to and if you ask me, you should go and sit closer to those two. Or to Dorothea, since you haven’t actually answered something on that paper of yours in ages.”

Although her heart hammered a bit once she looked down and realized that page on the workbook was indeed half-filled, her pencil hovering over question 4 for too long, Byleth was able to keep a blush at bay and shake her head. “I… was wondering if my answer was correct before writing it.”

As if to prove a point, she started scribbling what she knew was the right response, but had been too far afield before to really put it down. Not that it stopped Manuela from chuckling at her, but at least it distracted her from those piercing eyes that seemed to see into her very soul. Now she understood where Dorothea had learned to be such a damn flirt.

“You’re not completely comfortable, are you?” The woman went on, placing a hand on Byleth’s forearm to call her attention. “A certain someone is making you feel left out.”

At first she simply nodded, unsure if she wanted to talk about it. It was the first time someone had asked or even noticed there was something wrong. She would rather not tell her brother about those things, as she was sure he had bigger issues to deal with in the company and whatever else that he was not telling her. Involving her friends would be beside the point at least in her mind, since they seemed to like Edelgard alright. And talking to Edelgard would be next to impossible, as she was sure the new girl really did hate her guts. 

“I don’t know why, either,” Byleth mumbled, for once letting every mask fall. For once, not hiding behind the perfect standards she had to hold on to. “I just tried to help and then…”

“Well first, maybe that’s not really about you, you know? Some people need to be uh, independent, let’s say it like that. And if you try to help a bit too often, they see it as you undermining them. Not that this is your fault, it’s just their perception of it,” Manuela added once surprised cornflower blue irises turned to regard her. “I’ve heard enough from Dorothea to say that you’re an incredible person with a good heart. Don’t let someone else stop you from doing what you think is right.”

“But what about…?” She made a small motion towards Edelgard and Ingrid after making sure they were too absorbed in their revision to actually hear her. 

The woman shrugged, a soft beam on her lips. “Let her think whatever she wants. You know who you are and why you do what you do. If something bigger happens, do call her out on it or try communicating if you want to be her friend. But never let  _ her _ judgement dictate how  _ you _ live your life.”

Byleth wished things were as simple as Manuela was making them be, or maybe they really were. Unknown to the woman, that advice could be used in several parts of her life or in several of her relationships too, but of course talking about it was easier than doing it. Nevertheless, she beamed in thanks, sighed and rose from her chair only to grab a place beside Ingrid and answer Edelgard’s scowl with a dazzling smile of her own. 

She would not let the other girl make her sad like that, not anymore.

“What are you studying now?” She inquired, leaning over and brushing Ingrid’s shoulder with her own, something that made the blonde blush in a way that she had missed. Nowadays it seemed that Ingrid’s nervousness was only for Edelgard and Dorothea, too.

“We uh… the separation of the Kingdom and the Alliance from Imperial lands, way back then,” Ingrid faltered, wide emerald eyes focused on a point behind Byleth’s head.

“Way back when?” Edelgard prompted, voice at once gentle, leaning on Ingrid’s other shoulder and grinning once she and Byleth glanced up at their wordless friend. “Way back when, Ingie?”

“Way back uh…. Way back some… thousands of years?” She stuttered, finally blushing and unable to look at either of them, wanting to cover her face with her hands. It was a blessing that Rowan wasn’t there - they would mock her forever if they witnessed that scene.

“Goddess, I wish that were me,” Dorothea commented from her place in the living room, making the three of them turn to face her and grow silent at her raised eyebrows and taunting smile. 

Manuela couldn't stop laughing at the scene, at how Edelgard and Byleth backed away from Ingrid and all of them turned bright pink to Dorothea's delight. 

After that it became almost impossible to completely focus on studying, to the point that it was hard to both formulate and answer questions. When that happened for the third time in a row and Byleth was unable to make a sentence without tumbling over her own words, Edelgard held up a hand, shaking her head with a kind smile.

"You know what, we have been at this for hours now. Why don't we take a break and maybe go back to it later on? Or," she consulted her wristwatch, a beautiful, small crimson one with filigree clasps. "Maybe it would be better if we went home, it's getting late and I don't want to impose."

"Nonsense, dear, you're welcome to stay the night if you want. We have guest rooms and spare mattresses too," Manuela said, then smoothly added with a smirk. "Though I'm sure Dorothea wouldn't really mind sharing her bed."

"Manuela!" It was Thea's turn to flush, the stare she sent the woman so deadly, it was a miracle she didn't burst into flames where she stood. "Ah there, you made me lose my combo."

"I'm just telling the truth," the woman went on, happy to see Byleth and Edelgard sharing a mortified glance. That was way better than seeing them not talking or making eye contact at all. "In any case, if you ask me you've had enough studying for one day. Why don't you join Thea and play some games?"

"Yeah! I really uh… wouldn't mind the company here," Dorothea turned to them again once her match was over, beaming in welcome. "I really want to practice with you, my Ingrid. We gotta get ready for the tournament after all."

"Yes, the tourney," Ingrid grimaced as she got up from the chair, thanked the other two girls with a nod and a smile before taking the few steps towards the living room and sitting beside Dorothea. "It's next week already ugh, I'm going to make a fool of myself."

"Nah, you won't, but let's practice so you can end everyone's lives but mine. I still would love to win, you know," she winked, caressing her friend's arm for a second before offering her a nice blue controller and turning back to the game.

"What about the two of you? Not into the gaming life?" Manuela inquired, curious. She had heard that Edelgard was a Hresvelg, as in a daughter of the guys who founded the Hresvelg company, one that she may or may not have sent an email to some days ago. 

Although they shook their heads and said they would go back to study, she didn't totally believe them. She had noted the way they looked at the screen from time to time, muttering something or another under their breaths about how there were better combos to do or even a way to grip the controller so that could be done easier and faster. 

So Manuela just kept staring as they did the same then, once Ingrid joined the game and played several matches against Dorothea. How Byleth and Edelgard seemed to have a conversation through whispers, sending suggestions back and forth even though their minds weren't really aware of what they were doing.

Almost as if gaming was so second nature to them, they could do it in their sleep. 

She kept that information away and decided not to comment on it even when the three girls bid their goodbyes and went home for the night, realizing that perhaps she would be overstepping if she let Dorothea know all she had witnessed back there. 

Byleth sighed in relief once they were out of the house and she turned on a different street than the one that Edelgard and Ingrid did. Luckily for her their paths diverged right at the beginning, for the last thing she wanted was to have to make up an excuse as to why she wasn't going home and had to pass by the shopping mall first.

Seeing Ingrid and Dorothea playing had made her hands itch, her mind burning with the wish to play some matches as well. She had almost caved and told them she wanted to try out that "stupid game - no offense to the Hresvelgs of course", but she didn't trust herself to pass as a total beginner in a game that she loved and had dedicated so many hours to.

That, and the fact that she wanted some extra desserts that she surely wouldn't find at home - and how she didn't want to deal with her brother's weirdness in that night - made her steer towards the Gaming Mug as if her life depended on it. 

That had been her plan since morning, as she had a feeling she wouldn't want to come back home so early, thus there was an extra bag on her shoulders with the Ashen Demon clothing in it. It had been too easy to tell the other girls she had picked up her brother's laundry before getting to Dorothea's place, a lie they swallowed and made two out of three girls fawn over what an attentive sister she was (the third one had just rolled her pretty lilac eyes heavenwards and crossed her arms as per usual).

Byleth sighed, strolling through the almost empty streets, humming in contentment for some reason. She had to admit it was cool to spend some time with the girls after school instead of just holing up at home with snacks, cartoons and games. That did mean she wasn't able to be her true self for some extra hours, which sucked, but the company was… nice. As long as she wasn't doing it every day and could get all the desserts and gaming she wanted later, as she was about to do then, everything was cool.

Funny how things had changed in that little while, she thought, watching how the mall was buzzing with activity once she stepped on it, then made a beeline for the bathroom so she could get changed. The stalls were empty at the very least; she chose one and got into her green and silver clothes, wig and all - though green was a color she actually despised, but that was better than her wearing all blues and raising suspicion with her favorite color too. 

Who would have thought that someone who craved lone gaming and snacking time like her would ever feel called to hanging out with others in her spare time?

In any case it was happening and it wasn't as scary as she had thought it would be. The girls were nice and always made her laugh, plus it was cool to help them and have a study buddy in Edelgard, even if she was sure the preferred term there would be "study Nemesis" with a capital n, but oh well. She had had enough trying to understand the smaller girl and could only remember Manuela's words about the entire ordeal.

She checked into the Gaming Mug, grabbed the biggest slice of cake she could see through her tinted sunglasses and went upstairs to the arcade machines, vowing to always be herself around Edelgard, screw her opinion on it, on her.

The pang of sadness that followed that thought was enough to let Byleth know that would be easier said than done.

Unconsciously or by accident she ended up picking the arcade which had been used by the other masked kid some weeks ago, but in any case she was more than happy to forget her sorrows and sink into a good game of Fokken before the mall could close and she would have to return home again. There weren't as many people there, only a silver-haired girl who was busy demolishing her friends in the console version of the game and a group of college kids having a blast with the pinball machine - probably some nostalgia factor, given their age and all. 

It was soothing to work through her combos and make them way better than the ones she had watched Dorothea and Ingrid do before. If only she could give them some pointers without compromising her own image… it wasn't the first time she had thought about it, about letting everyone know who she was and allow others to judge her as they already did anyways. 

Someone would always find some fault in her character regardless of what she did, right? Either she wasn't smart like her brother or too lazy to actually do something useful, or she was just too good, always right. If that was the case, would it really kill her to put down her mask and let herself be seen?

But the mere thought of how her friends would resent her for lying - and Edelgard would probably have a good laugh at the whole thing - were enough to make her give up on the whole idea before her match could be over. 

She was surprised at how fast she ended her opponent, the machine shining up in reds, blues and yellows to celebrate her achievement. Apparently she had beaten someone else's timing, as she was sent to the high score list in order to input her name on the second best spot. Smiling to herself, she typed the usual "Ashen Demon", hit enter and curiously looked up to see who she would have to beat to take number one. 

A gasp left her mouth and she dropped the machine altogether when her eyes registered the "Flame Emperor" looming ominously just above her own fake name.

* * *

Time did fly when one was having fun, be it studying for the exams to come or training for a championship - or both, in the case of four girls. A week went by pretty quickly, with them getting more and more tense as the days went by and nights were spent first reviewing concepts, equations and calculations in Dorothea's place, then trying to put in one or two hours of Fokken practice before going to bed. 

All in all when Edelgard had donned her costume still in the Hresvelg mansion, only to be laughed at by Fiona (but then what else was new), she felt as underprepared for that Sunday's event as she did for the next day's test, the first one in their calendar. 

Which would be PE, of all things. 

The thought alone made her shudder underneath wig, hoodie, mask and sunglasses, her steps brisk and eyes focused straight ahead while she walked through the almost empty streets. The few people who were walking their dogs were luckily too sleepy to pay her much attention, but the ones who gawked at the red and black attire were promptly ignored nevertheless. Her mind was focused on one thing and one thing only - winning her debut as the Flaming Eagle in Garreg Mach. 

She wondered who she'd meet there, if she would get to fight Dorothea and/or Ingrid as well. While the thought was nice and made her smile in anticipation, it was also a dangerous one. What if they recognized her in some way, even under all that clothing and makeup, the lenses that turned her eyes blue in case she was asked to remove her glasses? That was something that she didn't even want to consider - having herself exposed as Edelgard wouldn't be fun, not when she had managed to get such nice friends after a hellish first week of classes.

Friends that had made her smile and laugh even if she had gotten too hurt at PE or Byleth had made her feel inferior again by correcting her in front of everyone. Friends who had embraced her and invited her to their date as well. 

Friends that made her cheeks turn red sometimes, when she did nothing but think about them. 

The moment they had been mentioned in the Hresvelgs' big Saturday dinner the night before, she had blushed so much Fiona choked on her grapefruit juice and went on laughing in between coughs, Edmund shaking his head and slapping her back just in case. The worst, though, had been the knowing looks she got from Celia, Beatrice, Byron and Ionius himself, already insinuating something that she was quick to deny.

So quick that it had only made everyone laugh after that, of course. 

She shook her head at the memory and pressed on through streets that were already becoming familiar after so little time spent there. El would rather play her own game at home, getting in a match or two between the beta testing she was doing for her father on a new rhythm game the Hresvelg company was developing, her silent contribution to the family business ever since she was considered a young gaming prodigy. It was nice, soothing work and since every developer on those games was pretty much perfectionists, she rarely had too much to report back - usually something or another about a bug or playability. 

Even so, at times it was also good to be out of home. Especially when her siblings were being too noisy or too demanding, getting on her nerves with their need for her company or just so she could listen to their woes. While not one to say no to helping, there was a limit to everything - playing therapist got old when one had ten siblings and some of them were talkative enough to compensate for those who didn't speak too much about themselves. On those occasions she would go to the Gaming Mug and spend some quality hours with the arcade machines and a dessert, unbothered and free to practice for as long as she wanted to. 

That was why her legs already knew at least two or three paths to the shopping mall, how she had memorized its opening and closing time, when it was more or less crowded and where to hide if she'd gone to the gaming store and spotted someone from Garreg Mach High.

Even though it was almost second nature for her to go to that mall, on that day there was something different about it, her hands trembling the slightest in anticipation the way they always did before a tourney big or small. She knew she was walking faster than necessary due to how out of breath she was behind the mask - that was problematic given her tendency to be a bit more clumsy in those occasions too.

And yes, by the time she got to the mostly empty mall, she had already tripped at least three times on even, stable ground. 

It didn’t even matter that she arrived a tad too early for an event that would start at around noon - and given the nature of such things, she knew very well she would be better off getting something to eat before it began, since tourneys almost always got delayed. The last championship she had participated, the one that marked her last night in Enbarr, had been scheduled for six pm and the first match only took place at seven thirty.

So Edelgard sauntered around the shopping mall for a bit, avoiding other people’s stares at her outfit and hanging closer to the (still closed) gaming store or the library as well. It was boring to say the least, her anxiety getting the best of her once she started spotting some people she had seen at the Gaming Mug over the few times she had been there. A silver-haired girl who was crazy good at it (she thought her name was Lysithea or something like that), other kids who usually hung around her.

Ingrid and Dorothea showed up when El was almost falling asleep in the food court, sitting over a table and pretending to read a book she had taken for exactly that reason. It was tough for her not to smile at them or go over to talk to them, but her identity had to be kept no matter what. It was bad already that they would be competing together like that - and for a while Edelgard had considered missing out on this first tourney because of it and the fact that it wasn't being held online. 

But the wish to actually attend a championship and make her name known in the Oghma mountains circuit that early had made her throw caution to the winds and participate anyways. Her costume was good enough and nothing bad would come out of it. It wasn’t even a given that they would fight each other in that day and if they did, well, all she had to do was play the silent, ominous figure -

Her mouth hung agape the moment her eyes went to the gaming store again and she saw not only that a crowd was starting to gather, but also that in the middle of them all, almost as if they were revered as a god, was another masked player, a taller person in ugly greens and silvers that made her reel, almost fall from her chair due to how she had been rocking it. And she had seen that outfit before in online pages dedicated to famous Fokken players, to the point that she would be able to recognize them anywhere in the world.

The Ashen Demon was there in all of their glory, as they would more than likely be since it was an important tourney no matter how small and local it seemed to be. Edelgard winced, remembering that her rival was indeed from Garreg Mach and she should have wondered if they would ever get to meet. Though the probability was high, she had never thought it would be so soon, so early in the new season and after her shameful defeat last time.

Anger ran through her chest, making her heart beat faster than before. She wouldn’t fail this time, she vowed. She wouldn’t make such a mess of her match that she would be called names in Hooter for weeks, as it had happened in the friendly competition. Rather, it was time for her revenge, even if the Ashen wouldn’t know that since she was using a different name.

And sure, it wasn't the  _ most original one  _ by far but well… no one knew the Flame Emperor wasn't in Enbarr anymore, right? It would be ok.

She would be ok, Edelgard thought to herself the moment the gaming store opened its doors (surprisingly on time) and allowed in the crowd that had been waiting in front of it, gamers and watchers of all ages, some dressed as manaketes, witches and knights of old, others in plain jeans and hoodies.

Then of course there was Edelgard and the Ashen, with the former attracting odd, scathing stares once she approached the place. There were some comments and sneers that followed her path inside the store, many steps away from a bouncy Dorothea who was hanging into a nervous-looking Ingrid. She heard bits and pieces of it, mostly of her being a knock-off from the real thing, the real legend that was the Ashen Demon.

She would be lying if she said that didn't hurt at all, her gaze trained into the games displayed on shelves and the consoles that weren't in their own racks on that day, but probably up a narrow flight of stairs to their left, waiting to be played. 

Those voices didn't dwindle when they were finally on the top floor, one that also had the dark blue carpet like the main store downstairs. The biggest difference was that in place of shelves lining the walls there were actually windows that cast enough natural light to the entire place. 

Around six long, white tables with benches instead of chairs stood horizontally on both sides of a red carpet, one that led to a raised platform at the end of the room. There were three small, flat TVs on each table and three consoles as well, displayed in a way that it would make more sense for opponents to sit side by side instead of facing each other. On what could be called the stage stood a smaller, circular wooden table and two chairs in front of it, backs turned to the public; Edelgard supposed that was where the main matches would occur after Swiss rounds were over. 

Luckily there was enough room and about twenty-four people in there, so they were able to stand over and behind the mat between tables, waiting as an organizer, a guy in his early thirties that looked as if he hadn't slept in days, called their names and motioned them towards tables and consoles.

When the Flaming Eagle was called and Edelgard raised her hand to answer there were chuckles, sighs and eyerolls as if her mere presence was unwanted, a nuisance at best. However, when the Ashen Demon's name was said people cheered, applauded and would more than likely have asked for an autograph if they had had their own physical copies of Fokken up with them.

Edelgard sat down close to the right wall, almost facing a window and realizing that the girl beside her was that Lysithea person. With a sneer, she thought that maybe Garreg Mach city should change their flag to a picture of the freaking Ashen Demon, given how famous they seemed to be. 

Well, today she would indeed try to make them see how other players could be just as good. 

Somehow the four girls had ended up on different brackets even if there weren't as many players as Edelgard had expected before. Most of the people who had been waiting outside were family members who had taken a seat on the vacant spots or on the patch of carpeted floor that stood between the stairs and the first table, a book on their hands or a bored expression in their eyes. Something that was both comforting and scary, given how fast some matches could go and how easily she could be defeated if she let herself get distracted.

No matter, El told herself while choosing her favorite character - a woman that was inspired in a great Emperor of the old days - and waited until her enemy did the same. When she saw who she was up against - an archbishop that could turn into a dragon - and one of her favorite stages came up for them, she relaxed and willed herself to focus into what would come next. As the game told them to begin, she unleashed her first attack and smirked to herself when it connected right away.

That match wasn't as tough as she thought it would be, what with everything she had watched Lysithea do in the few opportunities she had been able to gawk at the girl at the Gaming Mug and watch without being too obvious. Even so, she was able to pull her newest combo, a flurry of kicks, axe and shield before her enemy could make sense of what was going on, and soon enough the first battle was over in Edelgard's favor. 

The fact that they had been the first to finish round one - and then two, soon after that - did make everyone else in the room glance at them with wonder and surprise. Lysithea's pink eyes were wide when she shook El's hand before a girl from staff told the Flaming Eagle she should wait for another opponent, then made Lysithea rise and trade with one of her friends once someone else was done. 

So it went, the pace stable and fast, matches running into one another as Edelgard tried her best to pull off combos, shields and counters before her opponents of all ages could even understand what was going on. Most of the times she was successful and that alone, plus the speed of her battles, made some of the players who had lost too many games already stand behind her, gauging her progress and cooing over it. 

Why, there was a moment when the initial boos and sneers were turned into praise, into cheer and nice comments, gamers and watchers alike growing awed at her flawless, effortless performance.

A performance that reminded them of someone else's playstyle, though they couldn't really remember who.

Twenty four kids turned into twenty, one dropping from each bracket. Then sixteen, twelve… On and on it went until there were only four. That part wasn't as nice, as Edelgard noted that Dorothea was eliminated and moved aside, eyes buried by sadness for a second too long, before she attempted to shake it away and resorted on cheering for Ingrid instead.

In the end there were the Ashen Demon, Edelgard, Ingrid and a girl named Flayn that they had seen at school before. The competition was intimidating per se, making El's hands shake again once they were told to move to the stage next for the grand finale. 

She groaned low once it was announced that the Ashen and Flayn would be the first ones to compete, as the anticipation was getting to her - and Ingrid beside her, whose entire body was trembling, her emerald eyes wild and unfocused no matter how Dorothea massaged her shoulders and told her she would be fine. Both wanted to be done with it, to know if they were good enough to take those first medals home and rejoice in how they had won the grand opening to the Oghma Mountains circuit. 

Even so, it was funny how watching Ingrid squirm in the bench beside her, all bundled nerves and winces, made something inside Edelgard fall as well. How she wanted to reach out and soothe her, to remove those stupid masks and let her know she would be fine, that she was worthy of the stage and the next match would be nothing but fun. That there was no pressure to win and she'd still be amazing if she lost. Yet those words remained unsaid while the Ashen Demon made quick work of Flayn, mercilessly eliminating her as if nothing else in the world mattered. But then, in a way nothing else did matter right there and then.

Soon, too soon, it was over and Flayn would have to fight for third place later on.

The moment El and Ingrid were called forth and they stepped on the raised platform, Edelgard was sure the Ashen looked pointedly at her, a daring smile behind her own mask. The Flaming Eagle raised her head in response and blushed once that was received by gasps from the audience, one that understood they were probably up to witnessing a grand fight in a few more minutes.

Ingrid shook her hand, or rather her hand was shaking when they enveloped Edelgard's cold ones, after they sat down on the chair and took their controllers, making their choice on characters. El herself felt anxiety clawing at her throat, her mind, to the point that she was feeling hazy and it made her get hir Ingrid's initial sloppy attacks, to Dorothea's very loud squeal of delight. 

As much as she loved all of her friends, Edelgard would have to make them sad on that day. 

She shook her head and focused, just in time to intercept a nasty kick and magic combo that could have put her in trouble. Ingrid had indeed improved a lot thanks to Dorothea's coaching, but some of the mistakes she had witnessed her do all over and over again during their study sessions were still there, a few of them even worse due to how nervous the blonde was. El capitalized on it, on the information she had gathered about Ingrid as a player when no one thought she had been looking, and was able to counter her from then on, never letting her character be touched or damaged once more. 

They were applauded and cheered with soft calls of encouragement for both sides once match number one was done, Ingrid's character falling into the castle grounds after three axe combos that Edelgard managed to land - though the blonde had gotten better at blocking, which was always a good thing to see. The two girls had to wipe their palms on their laps while the game restarted, given how tense they were and for how long they had been playing already, the passing of hours not noticeable for the gamers but very much so for the watchers. 

Game number two was noticeably easier for Edelgard, though she was upset to see how much that first loss had already gotten to Ingrid. As much as she loved winning she let herself take some hits in order to silently encourage her, wishing she could reach out and say that the blonde had been doing amazingly, that she shouldn't let something like that stop her so soon.

However, no matter how many openings El gave her, Ingrid was either too hesitant to take them or missed the clues altogether, to the point that the Flaming Eagle had no choice but to press on. That was answered by a nervous gasp and Ingrid grasping the controller with a tad too much strength, restricting her motions and diminishing her clicking speed.

It was over a lot faster than the first match, all things considered. Ingrid stood staring at the TV for a few seconds, dazed, unsure of how to respond or feel. She had played horribly, that was for sure, and her loss shouldn't really come as a surprise but it did. A stinging, bad surprise that made her hang her head even when her opponent placed a kind hand on her shoulder and squeezed it, before offering her the other hand for them to shake. 

It was hard to see behind their mask and glasses, but Ingrid could swear there was a lovely, kind smile behind them that made her blush the slightest before getting up from the chair. She barely felt it as Dorothea embraced her, the booming voice of another staff member announcing their almost final match of the day.

"I'm so proud of you, my Ingrid!" Thea fiercely whispered through the embrace while the other masked figure in the entire tourney marched to the stage, applause and hoots of support following their path. "Even if you don't get third place, it's so so far to go on your first tourney."

"Uh?" Ingrid shook her head, unsure if she had heard it right. Third place? What was that about?

Dorothea snickered at her, shaking her head before the cheers died down. "Oh dear, I love you and your cluelessness sometimes."

That comment made Ingrid turn a brighter hue of red, one that was received by Dorothea’s laughter before they both focused on the match that would soon start in front of them.

Edelgard had thought she would be told to step down so that Ingrid and Flayn could go for third and fourth place, but it wouldn't be the case. She was surprised when the staff made her stay put and called forth the Ashen Demon to take the now empty chair. Luckily by then some people had warmed up to her and there were cheers for both of them while the masked player paraded over the red carpet and on the stage, unceremoniously taking the seat beside her.

They looked at each other for some seconds, the announcer hyping up the match to a degree that was unnecessary for such a small tourney. El tried blocking out his words by focusing on her opponent, on their relaxed demeanor, the greens and silvers that went so well together and unnerved her for some reason. These colors were cold and almost flat when compared to her red and black attire - this, or the fact that she was actually facing the Ashen Demon in person for the first time in her life made her heart flutter in a mixture of anticipation and dread.

Her archnemesis was finally there, in front of her, extending a hand so they could shake it and start the game in all seriousness. She did as expected, looking down at their joined hands and noticing not only how soft and gentle that grip was (a contrast against her iron one) but also that the other person was wearing a golden bracelet with pretty, detailed fish charms. It clashed against her own jewelry, a silver one with small eagles in black and red that had been given to her by Dana when she took part in her first championship at the age of seven - and won, of course.

Now it was time to see which animal provided the most luck to their owners, the eagle or the fish.

The two players turned back to the television in front of them and clasped the red and blue controllers in their hands, flickering expertly in order to select their characters. For the first time in that afternoon both Byleth and Edelgard were tense, taking longer than before to make their choices and lock them on, then move to stadiums and let the game pick one for them instead. 

It was as if there was a lot down the line, but in a sense it was actually the case since both were amazing players competing for the first win in the circuit - and rivals of old, even though one of them had changed their names for some reason or another. 

And both were more than willing to do everything they could to take that win.

Once the match began, the crowd exploded with cheers and sounds of surprise at how fast and precise both gamers were, their moves, parries, jumps and combos delivered in ways that they hadn’t seen in that tourney so far. People who had been falling asleep on the last few games woke up and sat on the edge of their chairs, watching how the two made everything look so easy and flawless, fluid and natural. Their fingers were fluttering through the controllers, so quick it was hard to say which buttons they were pressing and what combo had been attempted, only to either be interrupted by a counter or completely parried to begin with.

It was a match for the ages, some would say as they took out their phones and recorded parts of it to post on Hooter, tagging the Ashen Demon’s account and wondering if they would get the - what was their name again? - Flaming Eagle one as well since searching for that handle didn’t wield any results. There were cheers when the small dragon that the Ashen was using hit and crit the Emperor that was apparently the character the other mysterious player felt the most comfortable using, then more hype as the Emperor did the same to the little dragon in payback.

And no matter how long the game took to reach a decision - sudden death in match one since they lost to the timer - it didn’t feel like it got stale, fell into a routine or repetition as the gamers started reading and adjusting to each other's playing. Although it was visible that they had done it, their play styles adapting to what they were facing, it had been a dance of characters and moves that had been mesmerizing to watch.

Once the Ashen Demon feinted to one side, made to launch a fireblast but then connected an upper punch on the emperor that had jumped to avoid the taunted attack, there were yells and claps from the audience. It made Byleth smile to herself in a proud way - she had been feeling tense throughout that game and was astounded at how challenging and familiar that fighting style was like, almost reminding her of -

She stopped that thought by looking sideways at her enemy, the little kid that she had seen the other day in the Gaming Mug, that masked one that had finished her matches very quickly and gotten into the high score board due to it. That person was them, right? She had made a note of their borderline villain clothing, what with the reds and blacks that were almost always worn by the bad guys in cartoons, and how their shoulders had been tense as they played so many days ago, in the same way they were right then.

Did it really matter then? Why was Byleth paying so much attention to something that should be a mere detail?

However, when the second round started Byleth was a little distracted by it, by how ferocious and pressing her opponent was. She had to remain in a defensive position through most of it, parrying and dodging or else she would be hit by combos she wasn’t sure she could counter or stop if they landed. For the first time in pretty much any competition, her mind was focused on something else, on two ideas that wanted to connect and show her something that was almost literally under her very nose. 

First there was that strange kid, showing up out of nowhere in the Gaming Mug and having no business being that good while wearing such an outfit. Then, there was the fact that they had been super fast in their matches, getting the highest score ever in that machine, one that Byleth was trying to surpass to that day and failing every time she tried. And the name that was there, looming over hers with so much power that it made her mad just to see it every time, was the Flame Emperor.

Flame Emperor, her enemy for years who had never shown to a live event before, the Adrestia flag next to their name saying why since most important tourneys were centered on Garreg Mach. Flame Emperor, who always adjusted to their enemy’s style with such speed, it had left Byleth shocked the first time they had played against each other, though to this day she counted most of her victories against them as based more on luck than on skill. 

Flame Emperor, Flaming Eagle… 

The eagle bracelet hanging over a purplish bruise on that kid’s wrist, one she had seen but not paid enough attention to when they shook hands…

She heard the cheers and the game announcing the match was over before she realized what had happened, that she had lost due to a move she had been unable to parry, a sequence of kicks and punches ending in an axe strike. Byleth’s eyes were wide, her heart beating in fury for a different reason than the fact that she would have to go to round three before finishing that day.

That person beside her… no, that girl beside her… It fit too well, didn’t it? And as she waited for the game to restart, watching as they - she - was definitely smiling behind the mask, enjoying the sweet taste of victory on the expense of Byleth being completely far afield before, she recalled some nights ago, how she could  _ swear  _ she had heard that girl make a remark or two on Ingrid’s playstyle. A comment that had been so technical, a simple newbie or mere observer would never be able to make. 

Of course she wasn’t the only one with a secret. Of course it was none of her business why that kid was doing it. But if the girl wanted to cover her bases and make sure no one would find her out, she should at least have been more careful.

With that in mind and how upset she had become at the whole thing for some reason or another, Byleth flew through game three, making her opponent feel comfortable in the beginning by letting them think they had the upper hand, that it would go exactly as round two had. 

The moment they got too close to attempt the first combo, however, she countered it and got on the offensive herself, unleashing as many crazy and fast moves as her little dragon character could muster. She smiled to herself when that made a (quite familiar) gasp sound beside her and kept on, pressing her enemy to either defend themselves until the timer ran out or try getting out of that onslaught with a risky maneuver that could cost their lives and their chances to win that. 

Knowing how impatient the  _ Flame Emperor _ sometimes was, she bet that they would pick the second option and simply waited, ready to intercept whatever they decided to do when they decided to do it, meanwhile keeping on the pressure and not giving up for a second.

She could almost see it when they decided to change tactics, their grip on the blue controller adjusting in order to allow their hands to have greater mobility and mash the necessary buttons for a counter. That alone told Byleth what she needed to do, the right distance attack that would make the Flaming Eagle lose before they could even see what was being done to them.

Reality was better than Byleth's prediction though, since the counter she executed made them not only lose momentum, but caught them by surprise to the point that they just didn't know what to do, how to act to stop the damage that was being continuously done to them.

It was as if they had frozen, overthinking the situation and unable to do anything in return because of that. In that moment alone Byleth understood why her latest matches against the Flame Emperor had been decided like that, on what some people would call an anticlimactic note. 

She almost winced when she won the game and the championship, with the audience and staff chanting for the Ashen Demon that was just too good, that always won. Dorothea and Ingrid were looking at her with more admiration than ever, but they were kind enough to spare the downcast Flaming Eagle a smile and a wink too. 

If only they knew how ironic that whole situation was. 

Byleth turned to her opponent, nodded and shook their limp, trembling hands. All surprise at maybe finding out who they were evaporated as sympathy beat inside her chest. She wanted to say something, to congratulate them and reassure them that it had been a very nice match, but no word left her mouth and none was offered to her, either. 

The two masked figures went off the stage together, with Byleth being engulfed by hugs, pats on the back and praise. Although that was short lived since Flayn and Ingrid has their match to play - with Ingrid demolishing Flayn as if there was no tomorrow, her confidence returning and earning her third place, it was still nice to have that attention and to have prevailed over her enemy once more. 

Medals were briefly handled, a bronze little controller to Ingrid, a silver one to the quiet Flaming Eagle, who barely nodded at the praise and cheers they got once the medal was put on their neck, and a golden one for Byleth, who had a great idea right then and decided to act on it.

When she was about to turn around and grab the Flaming Eagle's and Ingrid's hands in order to raise them in a collective cheer, a glance around the place told her the masked player was nowhere to be seen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ingrid takes the podium tho! She deserves it after practicing so much. And of course Manuela had to be a tease while the girls were over at her house, I mean how could she not, right?
> 
> Now that the tourney is done with, the girls have to survive their exams xD so let's see how these go!
> 
> Again thanks for reading and have a nice weekend!


	7. "Silver looks very good on you"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Examination week arrives, with the first one of them being Physical Education. Edelgard freaks out both before and during the test, no matter how much her friends try helping her with it.
> 
> Later on, as she's again in the nurse's office, Byleth pays her a visit and they talk - with some unexpected results.

When Monday arrived with overcast skies, a chilly wind and the promise of rain later on, Edelgard loudly sighed, rolled to the side in her comfortable bed and wished closing her eyes was enough for her to forget that day, to pretend nothing would happen then.

Or better yet, to erase and pretend that Sunday hadn't happened and Monday would be nothing but a nightmare, never to touch the real world.

Yet her thoughts wouldn't make that a reality, or change what had actually occurred the day before. As Edelgard groaned, silenced the alarm on her phone and got to her feet, she found herself not only dreading school for the first time in her life, but actually hoping the trophies on her shelf would combust due to how useless they were.

She had done it, hadn't she? She has lost to the Goddess-damned Ashen Demon again and now with a live audience to attest to it. 

After the tourney she had rushed home and kept to her room for the rest of the day, silver medal deposited on her study table and glaring at her in defiance. She knew that had no logic behind it, but it did feel as if that stupid thing was laughing at her for the whole while, muddling her thoughts when she tried studying or distracting herself with some drawing - a hobby that was kept secret even from her family. 

The fact that she had drawn first Byleth, then the Ashen Demon being chased off by the Emperor she favored in Fokken was just a nod to her state of mind. Only one out of those two people really deserved to be hit with a damn hammer and in the end, it was her fault and hers alone that she had been losing to the Ashen ever since the day they had stepped foot into competitive Fokken. 

Not that acknowledging how awful she was at the game had made her loss any easier to bear. And now that she would have nothing but an exam week to look forward to, the first of which being PE, well… it wasn't a good day to be Edelgard von Hresvelg, all things considered.

"Are your tests starting today too?" Fiona asked at breakfast, watching how little her sister was eating and her overall expression. It hadn't been good since last evening, but a glance in the silver medal on her neck had been enough to inform the entire family of the why.

"They are. What will be your first one?" Edelgard inquired out of politeness, taken aback by how unusually cordial Fiona was being so early in the morning. Where was the kid that recently had been racing her to school, though a limo was always faster than a bus?

"Chemistry," the girl winced, hoping all the studying she had done with El last week would be enough. She put some raspberry pastry in her mouth and said while chewing "Yours?"

"Physical Education."

The answer was so flat, so final and dreaded that it made Fiona look at her sister with concern. That, and how she hadn't been reprimanded to mind her table manners, was enough to make her understand that Edelgard wasn't just in a gloomy mood. She was miserable, to say the least, and due to things she had no control over.

That was why instead of pestering her as always, the moment they both left for school on their separate ways, Fiona gave her sister a warm hug and whispered: "It will be fine, El. We'll have some cake later on to celebrate your nice grade. Or a bad one, too. So no matter the outcome, there'll be cake waiting for you when you get home."

For the first time in that day Edelgard smiled and relaxed into the embrace, for once not caring that they were almost the same height. She thanked her baby sister, pecked her on the forehead and wished good luck on her exams before setting off into the overcast day.

Her mood was quickly noticed by her three friends as soon as class started. Ingrid was the first to do so, being her table mate and all that. She nervously scooted closer to the smaller girl while Professor Hanneman went on and on about cubic polynomials (something that would more than likely make her life a living hell, since quadratic polynomials had already been awful to begin with).

 _"You got this! :3"_ Ingrid scribbled on the edge of Edelgard's notebook, making the brunette turn towards her with a surprised expression, a slow blush rising to her cheeks. Her lilac eyes, which had been clouded before, shone as a small smile blossomed on her lips. 

Lips that always caused Ingrid's heart to skip a beat when she made the mistake of looking at them, just like in that moment. Her cheeks were equally red when Edelgard squeezed her hand underneath the table, a brief, forlorn gesture that was sweet nonetheless.

 _"I believe in you, too,"_ El wrote back in Ingrid's notebook. After a quick glance to make sure the professor wasn't watching her, she doodled a happy face, added Ingrid's signature tresses and little arms holding a paper that had a big "100" written in it. 

When Ingrid saw it, she had to stop herself from either hugging the girl beside her or hiding her head in her hands, both reactions warring strongly within her until a giggle coming from the front made her realize they had been watched that entire time. 

Dorothea's and Byleth's playful smiles made them turn away from each other and pretend to pay attention to the class, crimson coloring not only their cheeks, but the tips of their ears too. That made the girls sitting in the next row chuckle before Dorothea placed a hand on Byleth's arm and asked something only the other girl could hear, something that was answered with a nod and some scribbling too.

However, once Ingrid's and Edelgard's embarrassment died away, they couldn't help but wonder why both Byleth's and Dorothea's beams had seemed to clash with some sadness in their eyes.

Some loss, or the fear of it, that had etched both cornflower blue and emerald with equal streaks of unvoiced pain.

All in all, there was definitely something strange in the air on that morning, something that went beyond the fact that they would be having exams all week long and today's would just be the easiest one (depending on who was talking, obviously). They were too silent when the professor asked them to solve the equations in pairs, or while having a snack between classes. Hell, Byleth had even refrained from correcting Edelgard's answer once she solved one of the problems on the board - luckily Hanneman caught the mistake himself, but either way it would be fine for Byelth.

She had a bigger issue to solve, one that went beyond her cartoon's latest cliffhanger, if Bernadetta's mom was really going to push for divorce (as it seemed like it was going to be the case) or how she would get Beleth to open up and talk to her about whatever was bothering him so much, he had started mumbling during sleep.

That issue had kept her awake a little longer than it was necessary, as Byleth placed her golden medal with the rest in the wardrobe and answered some of Bernie's questions about the championship before they went on to play some card games for the night. It had distracted her from calculus, to the point that Dorothea leaned over and asked if she was sure about a part of the solution, only for her to shake her head and thank the brunette with a reassuring smile. 

That issue was something Byleth hoped she would get to solve today, or soon in any case.

Yet the day progressed in a crawling pace as if out of spite, to mock the students who were anxious about their coming exams, about going home and getting in some last minute study sessions, prayers for their results and whatever things they could think about to make their success a certainty. It was tough to pay attention to classes - luckily most teachers were kind enough to do some sort of revision instead of going for new content, but even so. 

The four girls fretted in different ways, over different things. Ingrid was already dreading Tuesday, when they would have both calculus and history tests. Dorothea's concerns were mostly geography and physics, which would happen on Wednesday, whereas Edelgard winced at every passing minute and the approach of that PE exam on Monday. And Byleth, while not worried at all about that week, wondered if there would ever be an opening for her to talk to Edelgard - and if she should even try talking to her to begin with.

Regardless of how much they thought or not about it, time did pass and soon break arrived for the relief of some and the fear of others. Not at it per se, since leaving the classroom was always welcome, but at what would come later.

"Are you ok, Edelgard?" Byleth asked, though she wasn't really sure how to treat that girl, at least if her assumptions were correct.

But that didn't mean she wouldn't help or something - El was looking so on edge, she had tripped on her own feet while getting up from the chair. Her face was very pale and her body was locked tight, rigid, arms glued to her torso, knees barely moving when she walked. 

If stress due to examination week was a person, it would surely look like Edelgard in that moment in time.

"Y-yes, I'm completely fine, thank you," for once her lilac eyes didn't narrow in anger at the fact that Byleth had addressed her, which just showed how serious that situation was. 

"Hey, it'll be ok. You've been improving and that's what coach Ladislava will evaluate," she went on as they made their way out of the classroom, into the hallway which was filled with students.

The one answer she got to that was a sharp nod, one that showed how little the smaller girl believed in those words.

It was impossible not to smirk at how Dorothea and Ingrid had to hold Edelgard's arms in order to keep her still, as she stumbled at pretty much every two steps; soon it got to a point that they decided it would be better for them to sit down for break, preferably in a pretty spot overlooking the mountains so they could try distracting their friend with nature, the sights, some funny stories about working in a shopping mall or the likes. 

They ended up in a courtyard that was an ample, open space between the elementary and high school buildings. There was a stone wall limiting it on the side that did face the mountains, some metal blue benches and dark wooden ones scattered about, a pathway that led to the buildings and encircled several patches of grass, making them almost copies of the roundabouts spread through Garreg Mach city - the ones that Edelgard’s siblings loved complaining about, as apparently it was hellish to drive through the ones that didn’t have traffic lights too. 

Some kids were playing ball to the left and since a glance at that made Edelgard cringe to herself, they steered away from them and plopped down on the grass. Ingrid, Dorothea and Byleth ate, made some small talk and invited El to be part of that but didn’t press it when her only response was a nod or a shake of her head.

“Hey, it’ll be fine,” Byleth said, placing a hand over her shoulder and squeezing it the slightest. A bell had just rung, signalling break was over and they should head to the gym for their first test in the entire week. Of course that had made Edelgard freeze again and the other girls stood around her in a small circle. “It’ll be over before you even notice it.” 

“Yeah and I’m sure you’ll do amazing. You got this, remember?” Ingrid added, caressing her hand. She could relate to that fear in so many ways, as something of the likes was already stirring inside her - calculus was just around the corner, peering at her with its devilish red eyes. 

“And no matter what results you get, we’ll love you no less, Edie,” Dorothea winked, patting her head once. “You’ll still be you at the end of the day.”

The girl regarded each of them with wide, helpless lilac eyes that were almost tearful, gratitude for once overcoming her anxiety even though her heart was racing, her thoughts were foggy and she was somewhat dizzy too. “Thank you, truly. All of you,” she gave them a weak beam, the first one she had ever graced Byleth with, and for some minutes entertained the notion that perhaps she had judged that girl a bit too soon. 

She wasn’t as bad as Edelgard had thought, right? Maybe she had been too… lost, or proud to see that Byleth was as human as the rest of them, way more than just her grades and her seemingly perfect behavior at all times. 

Maybe she should give her another chance, or apologize for being so distrustful from moment one. Byleth had been trying to help her all this time - had it really taken an almost mental collapse for her to realize that? Her next wince was more directed at herself than the prospect of having to take a PE exam that wasn’t theoretical, but the fact that the gym soon became visible and she saw the rest of her classmates getting into it overrode her initial reason for feeling bad. 

Her stomach churned in protest, though she hadn’t had anything to eat aside from a meager breakfast, heart beating so fast she thought it would tear her chest open and just leave. Her palms warmed up and started sweating too much, which was why she hastily retrieved them from Ingrid’s and Dorothea’s grasp, unsure of when they had gotten hold of her hands to begin with. Tears burned behind her eyes but she kept them unshed. She had never cried due to or before a test - this wouldn’t be the time that she would.

Coach Ladislava smiled reassuringly as she saw the four girls coming in the gym, even more so at Edelgard and her very visible shakiness. She had been informed that previously all of El’s exams had revolved around her either doing a presentation about sports or answering some questions on them, a notion that abhorred her. When the student had begged for her test to also be theoretical this time around, the woman had denied it with patience and a kind beam in her face.

“It’s about time PE means more to you than just studying those sports. Aren’t you enjoying being a part of them too?” Ladislava had asked, then chuckled when Edelgard vigorously shook her head and pointed to the several wounds that now covered her arms and legs, some of them never healing since she had a tendency to fall more on her right than her left side for example.

She was a little bit disappointed that the kid looked that nervous, the most nervous of them all actually, once the class lined up in front of her in their uniforms and waited for instructions. Some were picking at their fingers, others smiling and shifting their weight from foot to foot. Byleth’s and Ingrid’s stances were relaxed and ready, whereas Dorothea hung around Edelgard and tried massaging her tense shoulders to no avail. She would probably just relax after that was over with, if only. 

“Ok, it’s time everyone,” the coach started, checking the clipboard on her hands and reading what she had thought of for their exam. The first item was easy and surely would put the more anxious ones at ease, right? “We’ll start by taking fifteen laps around the court and you’ll be evaluated on your ability to complete it and the time you take to do so. While you don’t have to run for your lives, it would be nice if you don’t take half an hour on that alone. And yes, I’m looking at you, Miss Goneril, I still remember you trying to pull that off last term.”

The pink-haired girl pouted while others laughed. Edelgard already looked scared, though what had been requested was something they had done with almost no incidents several times already. Even so, her legs seemed to be made of lead once they were told to line up in one side of the gym and wait until Ladislava blew the whistle. 

Every nerve in her body was shouting in anticipation. Her hands were clenched into fists as she recalled other times when there had been some running and she had fallen, often twisting an ankle along the way and having trouble placing that foot on the ground for a few days afterwards, even if Dana did her best to bandage and keep it stable. Instinctively she had taken a spot behind everyone else, knowing some of her peers loved speeding up like crazy and would finish that little thing in less than seven minutes while shoving their slower classmates out of the way with impatient grunts. 

She knew. She had been shoved more than enough times, no matter how the coach reprimanded those people for things like that.

The second the whistle sounded and everyone started dashing, Edelgard was startled out of her thoughts and almost fell on her first step, having to hold on to Hilda’s shirt in order to not overbalance. The other girl shot an annoyed glance her way, wrestled the fabric out of her hands and sped up the slightest, just enough so she wouldn’t be in El’s way if she wanted to fall. 

A thought that apparently wasn’t exclusively Hilda’s, as pretty much everyone made a point of giving Edelgard as wide a berth as possible, something that the girl noticed with a pang in her heart. Yes, she could understand their reasoning for it. Yes, she knew she was bad and honestly shouldn’t even be in the court to begin with. But no, Ladislava was the one who was oblivious to how awful of an idea it was. 

The moment she did stumble on her own two feet and fall with a yelp, since her mind had been protesting the entire fact that she was being forced to run - and was already behind everyone, with the faster students already approaching her as they made their second lap and she was somewhat on half of hers - no one even batted an eye. Her lungs and face were burning, more due to the sheer anxiety and humiliation of being there than because of exertion, her chest heaving with shallow breaths. 

“C'mon Hresvelg, you can do this,” Ladislava bellowed, probably thinking that it was a good incentive.

The snickers that echoed around the gym after that just made everything worse.

Her legs trembled more than before the exercise even began. Each lap it became worse, specially after most - then all - of her classmates were done and she was the only one running, well-aware of how stupid that looked and the fact that everybody was staring and whispering about her.

A tear actually did fall from her eyes when she began lap number thirteen - she thought - and had stumbled a second ago. Why hadn’t she been able to talk her way out of that like usual? Or, more importantly, why couldn’t Ladislava see that this was making her hate PE and sports even more than before, as they were making her life a living hell? That had to stop, it was no good that whenever that stupid class was arriving she started feeling anxious and, as soon as it ended, she had more gashes in her body than the day before.

She wasn’t improving in anything other than being the clown of the class in those events. And yes, she had had enough of the laughs and the jokes whispered behind her back too.

And if the coach wasn’t going to listen to her, then well…

She had half a mind to stop altogether and yell that enough was enough, to stomp her way out of the gym and into the principal’s office to make a complaint. She was indeed about to go through with that idea once her ankle started burning in pain until a soft, kind hand took hold of her forearm and made her turn around to look at what was going on.

Ingrid stood there with a soothing smile, more jogging than running beside her, offering her some support and company in what was totally being the worst time of her life. Edelgard’s eyes widened and she almost tripped on Ingrid’s feet, but the taller girl took a firmer grasp on her and kept going, nudging her to do so as well.

“It’s fine, I could go for some extra laps,” she shrugged the moment El opened her mouth to say something about it.

Coach Ladislava did have something or two to say about it, on how that wasn’t fair because they were in the middle of a test and they shouldn't really try helping each other, but her command went unnoticed even when she threatened to take points away from Ingrid’s perfect score. In the end, the coach realized as that went on, it had been better that way since Edelgard was able to finish her run a lot faster - and without falling another time - due to that little assistance.

She sighed and shook her head, but accepted that and made a mark on the clipboard next to Edelgard’s name anyways. 

“Good, we will have some stretching next, before moving to an actual handball game,” the coach said, motioning for them to form a line in front of her again. There was no way one of them would screw something as simple as stretching, right?

It took her less than a minute to realize how wrong she had been. Edelgard was so nervous, she was unable to follow the actual instructions and would end up doing something completely different from what she had asked of them. Which was… ok-ish since there were no injuries this time, unless one counted the loud popping sound her ankles did when she mistook one stretching for another.

However, all bets were off when the game actually started. In order to make things faster, Ladislava had predetermined who would be in each team last night. Given how tired she was, she had thought it would be a good idea to place Edelgard in the same team as her friends, since then they would help her with passes and so on. While that was indeed some sound logic, she had overlooked the fact that many people who mocked the girl whenever they were at PE stayed on the other side of the field.

And since this was a test, everyone was trying harder than ever to show up, to be the best player ever and make sure the coach gave them top marks. 

So the second the ball dared touching Edelgard’s hands, there were at least four people who easily resorted to shoving her in order to steal it, no matter how many times Ladislava had said that wasn’t something they could and should do.

“Drop it, Felix, what’s wrong with you?” Ingrid yelled at the boy, her neighbor since childhood and one of her practice mates in volleyball. He had pretty much tunneled El for the last five minutes of the game and pushed her one too many times.

And this one time, Edelgard had fallen in a way that made her clutch her wrist in pain, remaining on the floor after Ladislava wearily told her to get up.

“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with _her_ though. There’s no way someone can be that bad in something so simple, so I suggest she should stop pretending and start taking this seriously,” Felix screamed, grabbing the ball and making a beeline to the opposite goal, scoring even though the game was stopped.

“You, out,” the coach said, pointed first to Felix, then to a bench. She would not have something like that in her classroom, she thought while approaching the mute, pale girl who remained at the floor holding her own wrist. “Hresvelg, is everything alright?” 

The one thing she got in response was a shake of her head, the girl’s gaze fixed on the ground instead of the teacher. It was impossible not to see her chest heaving with what looked more like sobs than just some pants due to exertion. 

“Coach? She’s bleeding too much I think,” Byleth said, worriedly taking stock of all the new gashes in her arms and legs. “Can’t we call this off for a while? She should go to the nurse’s office.”

“N-no, I’m fine and -” Edelgard snapped her head up, trying to keep away the nausea and dizziness that had tried taking her over for the last few seconds. That, plus how everything hurt and her wrist in particular simply burned, made her mind hazy and unable to focus, but those words made her snap to attention again. 

“She is right,” Ladislava sighed, doing her best not to show how that had shaken her. She had been sure everything would be ok - they had been playing handball for over a month already and there was no way someone would fail it so badly. Yes, it hadn’t helped that some people got too competitive in exams, something she should have accounted for and tried controlling better, but even so. It hadn’t all been their fault either. “Who can take her -”

“I will,” Byleth promptly volunteered, then crouched low so she could get Edelgard’s attention and talk to her. “Are you well enough to walk?”

“Supposedly,” the answer was dry, tinged with defeat. She already knew her grade wouldn’t be the best and, what was worse, that she had made a complete fool of herself in front of the entire class again. Never had she done so badly in a game before, sometimes overbalancing without any reason for it to happen. 

“Here then, we can go as slowly as you need,” Byleth got to her feet and offered her a hand, an encouraging smile on her face. 

At first Edelgard just nodded, too shaken to do anything else but look at the hand in front of her and take it, her own shaking due to a mixture of all that she was experiencing emotionally and physically too.

However, the second she glanced at the other girl’s wrist she saw something that made her almost fall again due to surprise, Byleth somehow anticipating and stepping in to support her. 

It could be that she was dreaming, or in too much of a hazy mode that she was hallucinating. 

But if she had seen it correctly, Byleth was wearing a golden bracelet with fish charms. The same one she had seen… recently? In someone else's wrist, she was sure about that, but her mind was too foggy for her to really remember who or what it was, what had happened or why that sight had surprised her so much.

Why did it really matter? She had a feeling it _did_ matter, though the reason for it -

“C'mon, let me help you some,” Byleth gently uttered, embracing her shoulder and taking most of her weight so she could limp away from the gym, into the still overcast day. 

Edelgard complied, as there was nothing else for her to do and she was still too dizzy to actually protest. A glance to her shoulder was all she needed to confirm that yes, she was seeing a golden fish bracelet on the other girl’s wrist, the sight making her unexplainably speechless with a volatile mixture of anger and sadness. She couldn’t speak right then, not in the state she was in, how weirdly everything looked and how she couldn't really recall why that was jarring her so. But when she remembered what that was supposed to simboliza...

So they walked - well, more like crawled - through the courtyard they had been at before, then into the high school building and through some hallways in complete silence. Every step was agony for Edelgard, though she kept quiet about that too, to the point that it was a delight when she saw the nurse's office coming into sight on the end of a rather long corridor, its door ajar and inviting as it always was. She had gotten very familiar with it and the intern nurse over the last month just because of PE, something that annoyed her to no end.

Why, back in Wilhelm I she had never gone to a place like that - but then, she hadn't been forced to run around and chase a goddamn ball for no reason either. The entire thing made her sigh, anger setting upon the one part of her mind that was conscious enough to feel something other than pain and tiredness right there and then.

As always, or mostly always at that hour, the infirmary was empty save from the intern nurse, Mercedes, a nice woman with a gentle smile and shiny blue eyes, her golden hair stuck in a long ponytail that kept it away from her face, the lab coat thrown over a royal blue shirt and cream-colored pants. She was sitting on the main table, a rectangular wooden one in front of the windows on the other side of the room, a sleek computer and some files over it.

There were two other chairs facing her, a light green cot to her right (where Byleth had bandaged Edelgard's wounds very often) and a proper bed closer to the door, one that was covered by simple white sheet and had a proper hospital curtain around it as well. To the left of the room stood white cupboards with as many supplies as a school would need - some of which had been called in recently since apparently the number of injuries sustained by Garreg Mach High students' had increased in the last month.

When Byleth knocked on the open door just to announce them, there was already a welcoming smile on the woman's face, one that intensified when she looked up from the notebook and saw that her favorite patient was back.

"Oh hello there, Edelgard. Having a tough time in PE again?" Mercedes motioned for them to step into the room, then towards the cot so she could take a closer look. She did have to keep a wince to herself anyways, as things did look a tad worse than usual on that particular day. 

The girl mutely nodded in response, grimacing when she eased herself up the tall bed. Her eyes were downcast, cheeks pale even if her entire demeanor screamed about how out of place and embarrassed she was. 

"We're having a test today," Byleth informed, hanging around Edelgard in an almost protective way. "Let's just say that uh… her being anxious about it made things more difficult."

A complaint rose to El's throat at that simplistic summary, but there was no denying her classmate had said the gist of it all. So she kept her gaze on the floor, grateful that Byleth was there anyways, and bit her tongue instead of screaming when the nurse began the examination by touching her wrist.

"That's tender, eh? I'll have to take a closer look at it, but maybe we should make sure you're no longer bleeding first. Would you fetch me the first aid kit please? Though I do think we'll need more than what's there…"

Edelgard's exhaustion made her unable to notice that at first both Mercedes and Byleth were tending to her wounds, then the latter excused herself after a while by saying she had an exam to go back to, that she was sorry and would return as soon as she could. The silence that followed was equally heavy, until it was broken by Mercie's soothing voice.

"She's super worried about you, isn't she?" the nurse said in a soft tone once the two of them were alone in the room. She had tended to Edelgard one too many times already to understand it was better to try distracting her from the fact that she had gotten that hurt than to keep talking about it.. "She's a cool person too, I can't tell. But even so, it really does seem that she cares a lot about you."

Usually talking about Byleth would get a rise out of Edelgard. That could be either a grumpy retort, an eye roll or a mere huff to show the girl's indignation when it came to the classmate that had more than often accompanied her there - or completely bandaged her up before Mercie had finished gathering more materials for the procedure. This time, as if that enough was a testament to how awful, tired or both El was feeling, there was simply no response at all. 

Yes, Mercie thought while prodding, cleaning, examining and eventually tidying up the last of the dozen or more bruises on her patient, some of which had reopened through class, it had been one hell of a PE test apparently.

"You're good to go - and just in time too, it seems," Mercedes said, her sentence being interrupted by the bell ringing. "I can talk to coach Ladislava for you, so she can reschedule your test or something, but in no way will you be able to do this today."

Ah yes, there had been an exam going on when she was hurt. Something about… running? Dodgeball - no, not dodgeball, maybe handball. Edelgard couldn't really recall, nor did she remember why the sight of a fish bracelet had made her a bit mad at some point in time. 

Her lack of movement did alert the nurse that perhaps there was something else going on though, as the girl took too long to start moving and when she did, it felt like she wouldn't be able to climb down from the cot alone. The nurse offered her a hand, assisting the entire thing and giving a sad smile when El's knees buckled once her feet hit the ground, almost making her fall once more.

"Miss Mercedes, could I -" the girl started as her heart hammered against her chest. It was too much. It was all too much and she didn't think she would be able to take it anymore at that moment.

"Just Mercedes is enough, dear," the nurse squeezed her hand, touched by how sad the student looked. Usually she would be mad at being there, not in such a sorry state, forlorn state.

"Could I… get some rest before going back to class? I'm a little bit dizzy," she admitted, eyeing the mattress with some longing. Paying attention to lessons would be impossible like that and luckily they had no more exams on that day, so if she could just take a little nap -

"Sure thing, come with me then. You didn't hit your head or anything, right? Else I'll have to say no to that."

Luckily it wasn't really what had happened and Edelgard was mostly tired due to that day in general, a combination of anxiety, anticipation, bruises and embarrassment simply making her need to lie down and forget about the world for a while. She took a deep, cleansing breath when she was assisted into the bed, then beamed to herself as the hospital curtain was drawn around her for privacy, shutting her away from the school, from that stupid PE exam and everything else that had harmed her outside. 

Byleth hadn't been able to focus through most of their lectures after PE was done with. Her eyes kept wandering to the door in expectation, waiting for the moment their friend would be back to the room as it had always happened before, when Edelgard had gotten hurt and needed a bandage or two before the next class. 

The fact that it didn't happen, that Ingrid sighed a bit too often behind her and Dorothea also looked distracted didn't help at all. 

But then, this time she had _really_ injured herself, Byleth thought, remembering how numb the smaller girl had been, how much she had been bleeding. Mercedes was probably _really_ making sure there was no room for an infection to take place or something of the likes. 

There wasn't _really_ a reason for her to worry, was there?

By the time they were learning about the unification of Fódlan under the guise of a strong, kind Emperor, Byleth couldn't take it anymore. She knew Edelgard loved history and had been looking forward to getting to that part of the subject, though she had studied it before in Enbarr, and the fact that she wasn't there to hear about the changes established by the ruler was just too sad.

Sighing almost at the same time that Ingrid did, she rose her hand and interrupted professor Judith's explanation on how people would go to the Emperor or her partners (a warrior, a singer and a teacher) for guidance, often revelling on how everyone was treated as an equal regardless of their social status. 

"Yes, miss Eisner? Is everything ok?" Judith stopped in her tracks, intrigued. It wasn't like the indigo-haired girl to look so pained. 

"Our friend hasn't returned from the infirmary yet. I would like to go check on her if it's ok with you," Byleth said, smiled back when Dorothea beamed at her and Ingrid squeezed her hand in thanks.

Half the class cooed at her too, the rest of it just snorting or chuckling as they probably remembered why Edelgard wasn't in class right then. Nothing delighted her more than shooting the latter group an evil stare once Judith told her she was free to go and she had gotten Edelgard's backpack, before making her way outside.

Even if it was a short way to the nurse's office, Byleth still sprinted there after placing the sleek black pack on her shoulder, her mind wondering about one too many things. 

One, should she tell the other girl about coach Ladislava's verdict on her grade and test? She'd determine that after making sure Edelgard was at least ok, though it would have to be said sooner or later.

Two, should she let her know about the whole Flaming Eagle/ Flame Emperor thing? This would expose Byleth, sure, but at the same time she really wanted them to be closer and maybe talking about video games would help. After her first bout of anger at the situation had passed, she had actually felt happy about it, about getting to meet her so-called nemesis and the one person who always gave her a good match, a great run for her money. Who knew? Maybe they could start practicing together away from Dorothea's and Ingrid's eyes if that was what Edelgard wanted. 

Also, she wanted to congratulate her performance on the tournament; she had never seen some of the combos the smaller girl had pulled with such ease. And getting second place was nothing to laugh about either so yeah. That was totally something she should do. Perhaps it would even lift El's spirits after that PE fiasco, right?

Those thoughts made her smile, her thoughts much lighter after figuring that out. So when she knocked on the infirmary door and let herself in since she got no response, she was still beaming and in a better mood than before.

She could do this. She could breach the gap between her and El, become her friend and maybe gain an ally, someone that could even go to her place in the afternoons so they could practice some Fokken together.

Nothing bad would happen there, right?

The nurse's office was too quiet and still after she had closed the door behind her, almost as if there was no one in it. But then, that was actually the case since a quick scan around the place told her Mercedes was nowhere to be found and Edelgard… 

Was fast asleep, only her shadow and that of the mattress she was lying on visible behind the flimsy, white hospital curtains. Due to the windows being closed and just a little bit of sun was creeping through them, the atmosphere was peaceful, silent, completely the opposite of what it had been during PE class. 

It was so soothing, Byleth herself took the softest steps she could muster as she picked up one of the chairs in front of Mercedes's desk, passed through the curtain and placed it beside the bed without disturbing its occupant. 

Edelgard seemed to be sound asleep, her face relaxed, breathing stable and body slack against the mattress, several patches of white bandages on her arms alone - Byleth could only wonder how many more there were on her legs and torso, which were covered by the pristine sheets. Her face was slightly tilted to the right towards the newcomer, who beamed yet again at the sight and the fact that she had been allowed some rest after all (Mercedes wasn't one to let people slack off in the infirmary if they didn’t need it, though she did grant some exceptions and knew when a student should be left alone too).

For some reason Byleth's heart lurched at that, as she took a seat and gingerly placed the backpack on the floor beside her. That was when she realized there was a mixture of feelings inside her, both sadness at how wounded the girl seemed to be, and something that made her smile at the sight, at how calm El looked.

Was it odd of her to keep staring? Probably, right? Ugh, she hadn’t planned for dealing with a sleeping Edelgard and had no idea on what to do, if she should leave, return to class and inform her friends, or maybe wait some more since they were about to go get lunch -

Her mental rambling was interrupted by a soft sigh and some motion coming from the mattress as Edelgard stirred, then opened languid lilac eyes and stared at the ceiling for some moments. Although Byleth had half a mind to interfere at that point, she kept quiet and let the smaller girl come to her senses as slowly as she needed to. She _had_ been quite wounded to begin with, more than deserving the rest she had gotten.

“Hey there,” By whispered once those irises did fall on her with a frown, pale face contorted in confusion. “How are you feeling?”

“I- I don’t know, honestly,” Edelgard faltered, trying to make sense of her surroundings and remember what had happened before. It was the first time she had had to take a nap in the nurse’s office and that thought alone made her wince in self-hatred. Why couldn’t she just be stronger, or maybe less prone to injury? “How long have I been asleep?”

“That’s a good question but you looked pretty comfortable so… I’d say a while? Some classes at the very least - no, it’s fine,” Byleth added once she saw some chagrin going through El’s face. It wasn’t hard to understand why. “You’ve already studied all of that before, right? You can get some time off. Actually no, even if you hadn’t seen that stuff, it’d be ok for you to take a break. You were really hurt there.”

That seemed to make it worse, but then it didn’t surprise Byleth at all. Apparently she did tend to say exactly the wrong things to that girl in particular. Edelgard sighed and glanced away, as if not convinced of it or anything else, for that matter. 

Silence fell between them again, anticipating what would happen next. Since she was unsure of what to do with herself, Byleth looked up and down Edelgard's form, taking in the purples and the greens from old wounds, the reds from newer ones.

“Let me look at those for a sec,” the taller girl uttered at last, doing her best not to be shaken by that earlier dismissal.

She got up from the chair and took a cursory glance on the bandages that mostly Mercedes had done. Some of them were already bloody and would need to be changed anyways, so she took the first aid kit and got to that. It was easier to be around Edelgard when her hands were busy and she wasn’t looking straight at those lilac eyes too. 

“You don’t have to fuss over me that much,” El mumbled, still unused to all the attention she got from the class president. “But in any case... thank you very much. And I mean it this time.” She mentally reprimanded herself for judging the other girl so much, even though a recent memory of something… something golden and fishy, made her heart shudder for some reason. It was better to be practical about what had happened than stay in her own very muddled thoughts, though. “How did the rest of the test go?”

Byleth took a moment to answer as she cleaned a gash on her calf and placed some gauze over it. “It was ok. We kept playing handball and the coach made us do some pushups, the likes,” she shrugged, snickering at the sound of protest that her companion did in answer to that.

Given how completely entranced she was with what she was doing, By ended up letting more, unwanted words leave her mouth before she could think better about them. About whether or not that was the moment to say them. “Coach Ladislava said she’ll let you retake the test next month, as she has to go on and start us in another sport. But that for now she will have to give you a failing grade since the school portal demands she -”

“She will have to _what_?” Edelgard’s body stiffened, the shock of that realization making her heart lurch, then speed up. She had never failed a class in her entire life, not even PE since her tests had been done in a different fashion. Her report card was always something to behold, pristine and perfect in every possible way.

It had taken a change of school and PE class dynamics for that streak to be over with. And that thought hurt more than all of the wounds in her body combined, everything considered.

Byleth mentally chastised herself for saying it once she saw the girl’s apprehension, but she would have to know about it at some point, right? There was no softening that blow, but maybe she could do something to make her feel better about it, to make the pain and despair leave her hurt lavender irises too.

“Oh, don’t worry about it! It’s just a temporary grade and you’ve been doing so much better already, the coach herself said you only didn’t get a passing score because you couldn't complete the exam,” she replied with a soft smile, picked up one of El’s hands and fondled it as gently as she could. Since that didn’t make her relax at all, Byleth went on: “Hey, that doesn’t make you a bad person or student or whatever, don’t judge yourself for it. You’re… you’re amazing in many ways and not only because you do well at school.”

The small blush that colored Edelgard’s cheek at that, as well as the way in which her shoulders relaxed the tiniest bit with praise, encouraged Byleth to go on, her heart beating fast at what she was about to say, how she was sure that would bridge the gap between them once and for all.

“You're a really good teacher and friend, you have amazing stories and know how to protect the ones you love." Sgw took a deep breath; it was finally time. "And you know what? I'm so sad you actually hide behind that persona too but… Silver looks very good on you,” she winked, held their linked hands up to plant a kiss on her knuckles. 

Edelgard’s world stopped, her entire body freezing anew due to what had just been said. No, she had heard something wrong, she _had_ to have heard something wrong. Though what exactly could she mean with that, plus that patronizing gesture -

It was the glint of something golden against the scant light of the nurse’s office that called her attention, that made her look to their joined hands and yank hers free the moment she caught a glance of Byleth’s wrist - or rather, of what was hanging from it, accusingly, mockingly, as if it had been laughing at her face the entire time.

Which was more than likely what Byleth herself had been doing through it all, hiding her utter joy at seeing Edelgard so destroyed, so completely and utterly defeated like that. She sat up abruptly, surprising the other girl and already making her quizzically glance at El, given how infuriated she looked right then.

“I see how it is now,” she hissed, fazed, hands balled into fists and her entire body taut, turned towards Byleth in accusation. Her lilac eyes, which had been open and lighter in color before, were completely closed off and dark, hooded. “Of course you come here to laugh at me when I’m down. To throw things in my face and make me feel worse as you gloat and sing about your victories, about how utterly _perfect_ you are in every single way.”

“Edelgard, what- “ 

“You and your amazing, flawless grades,” she went on, deaf to those words and to the taken aback expression in Byleth’s eyes. The one thing she thought was what a good actress the taller girl was, trying to make it seem like she was that innocent. “Your athletic prowess, your ability to just know when someone needs to be helped and what they will need. Of course that is not all, that you have to be perfect in every single way.” She hadn’t raised her voice, nor did she need to in order to make her words more menacing, incredibly sharp. The sheer fury behind her entire self was enough to do that. “That you have to be the best nurse, the best student, the best athlete, the best _gamer._

“Isn’t that exactly the case, _Ashen Demon_?”

The fact that Byleth froze with those words made Edelgard experience some degree of victory, though it did nothing to appease the anger that was almost making her yell. Almost, only - Fiona had taught her how useless that was, how it would only make a fight get even worse and go nowhere until someone else intervened. It didn’t stop her eyes from tearing up as her thoughts returned to what she had just heard, the accusation that was still echoing in her mind. 

“How dare you just come here and gloat about your victory like that, when this has been nothing more than an awful day for me? What kind of person are you, even? Pretending to be so good, so human, so -”

“Edelgard, it’s not what -” had she understood that Byleth was talking about the medal? “I, I mean, second place is nothing to laugh about and your play style was -”

“Oh, spare me the rest of your lies will you? And hide this Goddess-forsaken bracelet before either Ingrid or Dorothea can notice you’re even more perfect, that you were the amazing masked player that won the game yesterday. Or every game for the last few years actually. You’re that amazing, Byleth Eisner, you’re that great,” she stopped, took a deep breath and glared at the other girl, unsure of why she looked so surprised still. “You can drop the act now. Go ahead, keep letting me know what a failure I am and what an incredible person you are.”

There were tears on both of their eyes, though they remained unshed and were summoned for different reasons altogether. Likewise their hearts were hammering in their chests, their shoulders climbing up with tension and their voices warbled when they tried to speak.

“No, wait, that’s not what I meant, I… You’re not a failure and you always make me try harder to get the win when we fight anyways,” Byleth tried, hands falling to the side, her legs shaking for some reason.

She saw how those words made nothing change in the girl in front of her and that, if anything, they had resulted in one tear rolling down her cheek. 

“Please, leave. You have a class to command and a lecture to give I’m sure,” Edelgard whispered, hid her face behind a forearm, cursing herself for crying in front of that girl. Of course she would be ridiculed by that too, she just knew. “Another golden medal to win since _silver looks so good on me_.”

“I- I meant the -”

“Go!”

There was no turning back now, Byleth thought when she did as asked, rushing out of the infirmary with a sob that wasn’t heard, one that came as soon as she closed the door behind her and after she listened to Edelgard earnestly start crying. 

She had done it. With a few, misunderstood sentences, she had severed any and all possibilities of connection between the two of them. And they had been doing so well too, that morning at the very least had been so different, had seemed to hint that there could be a positive change coming for the two of them.

Had some words actually been enough to destroy everything?

“I meant… the wig,” Byleth mumbled, her own tears finally breaking free, her back searching for support against the nearest wall, feet rooted to the ground.

She knew she should go to the bathroom and clean up, suppress those stupid tears and the useless thoughts, but it was as if her body didn’t want to move, her heart hurting even more whenever another sob came from the nurse’s room beside her. A part of her wanted to go back, to apologize and make sure the other girl listened to her, but she had a feeling it would make everything worse instead. What else could she do, though? Let it happen, let a chasm form between them?

However, the need to run away intensified the moment she heard steps coming toward her, but by then she realized it was already too late to hide - whoever those people were, it did feel like they were heading to the infirmary too. And would be upon her on any given second.

So when a very familiar voice reached her first, Byleth trembled and tried clawing at her eyes, doing her best to dry them before she could be approached, recognized in such a sorry state and, what would be worst, judged.

Even more so if either of them had the idea to talk to Edelgard as well.

“They’re both taking too long and I have a bad feeling about it for some reason,” Dorothea’s melodious tone was clouded by worry, something that made Byleth’s stomach churn. It was enough that she had hurt El; the last thing she needed was for one of her friends to feel bad about her too.

“I don’t know, maybe they started talking or - By? By what’s wrong?”

It had been too late to move, to plaster a smile on her face and pretend everything was fine, or that something had gotten into her eyes and she had been unable to take it out. When Ingrid’s hand curled around her shoulder in a solicitous way, her tears returned full force and she openly wept, burying her head on the blonde’s neck once she was pulled into a hug.

She didn't see it as Dorothea and Ingrid shared a long, pensive look, one that was cut short when another sob came from inside the infirmary. As if they had agreed to do so before, Dorothea petted Byleth's hair, squeezed Ingrid's shoulder and finally went inside the nurse's office alone.

There was no need for her to look around, to wonder what she would find in the room she had occasionally visited when her cramps got too bad. Hence she easily made a beeline to the mattress where her dear Edie was sitting up and crying in abandon, then started whispering soothing words while gently pulling the smaller girl into a hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I ended up finishing and proofing this instead of one of the polyweek fics xD but oh well, I was like.... Why not posting it? 
> 
> Also don't worry, I got you, the girls will talk again I promise. This was just some angst before the fluff and the cutest stuff happens.
> 
> Hope you've enjoyed it and have a great start of your week!


	8. A-Rank Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ingrid helps Byleth deal with the worse of her emotions and what has happened back in the infirmary. Dorothea does the same with Edelgard and all of them gain new insights about themselves and the others.

Ingrid and Dorothea had been friends since primary school. They had bonded over drawing, their love of sweet cakes and, more importantly, games. Byleth had joined them in middle school since she was a bit lost in Garreg Mach and had fallen right alongside the other two with her easy-going nature and the way she and Dorothea had loved taunting Ingrid, a favorite activity of theirs that had gone on until present days.

As time passed they became closer, helping one another through personal and school matters to a point that they had started considering each other a family in a sense. The blonde couldn’t remember how many nights they had been together in either voice chat or messaging until it was almost time to go to class the next day, or the birthdays they had celebrated with a surprise cake or another shared after lessons were over.

Through all those years and the nice memories she had collected through them, the care she had gotten from Byleth whenever things in her home became too unbearable and the likes, not even once could she recall seeing the taller girl shedding one tear in public, let alone falling apart in that way.

And to say that Ingrid was completely at a loss about what to do right then would be a very big understatement. But it didn’t mean she wouldn’t try, though her hands were shaking and her mind had gone blank the moment she had heard her friend sob with so much abandon, as if something terrible had just happened.

Given the fact that it seemed like a similar thing was going on inside the infirmary, Ingrid had a very good guess on what that was about.

“By?” Ingrid whispered, one hand caressing that thick mane of blue hair and the other keeping her stable. She had no idea if that was what she should be doing, or if she should wait for her tears to simply stop, but it had to be better than nothing. Right? “By, what’s wrong, what happened?”

As expected she got no answer and wouldn’t get one for another long while, yet as minutes ticked by the worst of the sobs did dwindle, to the point when Byleth was reduced to silently crying against Ingrid, hugging her back and holding on for dear life. At least like that Ingrid was free to hack her brain and try looking for a solution, for memories of how her friends had soothed her when she had been the one crying. 

Her fears of either doing or saying something that could make Byleth feel worse instead of better, plus the fact that she didn’t know _exactly_ what was going on, just made her as antsy as the girl in her arms, though she hoped that wasn't easy to see.

It didn’t surprise her when Byleth pulled away once the bell rang, signalling they were free to go for lunch before afternoon classes started. There were many reasons why the taller girl was class president and one of them was definitely the fact that she was never late, had never missed one day of lectures or skipped it to begin with. The fact she had escaped that lesson earlier on was a feat in itself. 

“Thank y-you, Ingrid,” Byleth whispered as she straightened her posture, wiped her face clean of tears with an angry swat of her hand. That gesture itself was so at odds with the girl everyone knew, loved and relied on, that it took a second for the blonde to realize her friend was steering away from her.

“Hey, no.” She ran the small distance between them and picked up her hand, squeezing it in order to gently tell her to stop walking - which luckily she did. “Please let me help you.”

Byleth shook her head, etched a smile on her lips. A false reassurance meant to soothe Ingrid instead of a genuine gesture that showed that she was feeling better already. “I’ll be fine, promise. You don’t have to worry about -”

“No, don’t say that. I do worry and care about you, By. A- a lot.” She let the sentence hang between them, something inside her chest fluttering at the way the other girl’s eyes widened in surprise. “And I really want to help too. You hm… you don’t have to say anything about it if you don’t want to, but anyways. I want you to know I’m here for you.”

When that was answered by tears coming back to her eyes (though her shoulders also relaxed at it), Ingrid thought she had done exactly the opposite of what she had meant to. She was ready to apologize, to try making things clearer if possible, only to have her mind halt when Byleth nodded and caressed her hand back.

“It… means a lot to me. Thank you,” Byleth mumbled, stepped closer to her friend and gave her a brief hug. While there were no longer tears running down her cheeks, a dim light or some sort of haze still hung around the beautiful cornflower blue irises that Ingrid adored.

“Let’s go get some lunch then, food always helps… a little,” she added as an afterthought, tugged the other girl away from that hallway. 

If that entire situation wasn’t too sad and convoluted at that moment, it would have been funny how both of them spared the infirmary room a last glance, then realized the sobs had also stopped coming from there before they kept on walking back to class so they could get their packs and go to lunch. 

However, the moment they arrived at the - thankfully - now empty classroom and did retrieve their stuff, Ingrid turned to the other girl and noticed the way she was sadly staring at Edelgard’s table, a small pout on her lips and a look in her eyes that was too heartbreaking to bear.

Which was exactly what made her take a new decision on how to better deal with that, one that she was sure By wouldn’t really approve but maybe it would work nonetheless.

“You know,” she said at once, noticing with an internal wince that her friend was taking too painfully long to pack her things. “our next classes are so stupid and all we are having today are revisions. I have half a mind to skip them and just go home earlier.”

Byleth regarded her with blank, red-rimmed eyes for a second, her pretty, navy blue pencil case abandoned in her hands as she digested that information, then nodded with a small, supportive smile on her lips. “Yes, we won’t have practice today either so you should go if you don’t feel like watching the next lectures.” 

Ingrid had half a mind to sigh, wondering if her intentions hadn’t really been clear before - Byleth was really polite at times, to the point she would never invite herself over to someone’s house and the likes. Which was why the blonde followed it up with: “Well uh… why don’t you come with me then? I don’t want you to stay here by yourself after… what happened.”

As expected, the taller girl was quick to shake her head, as if something awful and impossible had been said. “N-no, I can’t skip classes like that just because I’m not feeling well or whatever.”

There had been a temble in her voice, an uncertainty in her eyes that Ingrid recognized, easily reading her actual wishes right then. All Byleth needed was a push, the right words to reassure her that everything would be ok if she weren’t there for some useless classes. “Hey, you’re human like everyone else, By. There’s no need for you to force yourself to be physically present in those lectures anyways. You already know the subject - hell, you could more than likely teach it better than some of our professors -”

She stopped once she saw the indigo-haired girl wincing at those words, at how it seemed she had said something ominous, forbidden. Or that echoed a terrible thing she had recently heard somewhere... from a certain someone…

“What I mean to say is, it’d be such a waste of time for you to be here in those damn revisions when you could be resting or uh, I don’t know, making your own studying sessions without other people's questions distracting you,” Ingrid soon amended, afraid that she had done more harm than good with what she said before. “So y-yeah, you’ll be welcome at my place if you want to. My father only arrives after six so we’d have some time to relax or study in peace.”

For the first time in her life, Byleth contemplated the actual possibility that she would skip classes, something unheard of for her perfect records, her unending streak of amazing grades and academic achievements. 

Then she recalled how Edelgard had called her out on that, on how _good_ and _flawless_ she was in each and every aspect of her life, something that stung a lot more than the other girl could even imagine. Her gaze fell to the floor at that, heavy under the weight of those accusations and many others that had come before, of her being too unlike her brother, not smart, good or enough of anything that really mattered. 

Could people get into some sort of group chat and decide what their ideas about Byleth really were? It was tiresome and sad to be criticized no matter what she did or didn’t do, to hear so many jarring opinions about her and, in any case, always fall short. 

That was the moment in which she realized she was exhausted on a mental and physical level. She had been up all night thinking about the Flaming Eagle/Flame Emperor/Edelgard thing - and what an amazing result she had had with that, too - plus putting together a little cramming schedule so she could remember what their tests would cover on the days to come. 

As if that hadn’t been enough, well, there was the entire fiasco with the girl she wanted to get to know better and ended up probably pushing her away forever due to… What had even happened back there? It was still too fresh for her to make sense of everything other than the fact that her words had caused an impact they hadn’t been meant to. 

To think she had often told Beleth he was bad at communicating or expressing himself, which was totally true by the way. She had done just the same back there in the infirmary though, so maybe her twin wasn’t the only one to suffer with that little issue. 

“Byleth?” Ingrid called with concern in her voice, stepped closer to her friend and touched her forearm on a gentle way, trying to wake her up from that reverie. “I won’t force you to come with me of course, but we have more than enough food at home if you want something aside from your own lunch and it’ll certainly be… a lot less crowded or noisy in my place than in here.”

The taller girl had to admit the blonde had all very, very good points. She couldn’t find in herself the will to stay one minute longer in that school, especially if there was the chance she would run into Edelgard so soon after their little fallout. The professors from their next classes had warned them that they would only bring some exercise sheets, so the students could get a little practice before the tests during the week.

That was not something she needed, as she knew no mock test wouldn’t distract her from the racing, self-deprecating thoughts that were taking root in her mind. No, just having to stand close to Edelgard would more than likely be enough for her mind to go even more astray.

So it was that for the first time in her life, Byleth accepted the idea of skipping class and after packing up her things, sneaked out of the school alongside Ingrid, to a house she had visited a few times in the past when things hadn’t been as awful as they were right then.

She had been silent for the entire time and had remained as such even when they had shared some lunch on the little side table by the kitchen, then cleaned their own bowls before going to the living room in order to chill for a little bit. 

Byleth experienced something strange at the thought of not being at school in such a time whenever she glanced at a clock, on her wrist watch or mobile for that matter. There was some guilt beating in her heart when they sat on the comfortable, worn light brown couch in front of the glass cupboard that had one too many religious symbols and statues in it. One that Ingrid had been forced to clean every single day ever since she was around eleven - or maybe younger, at times she would rather not remember any specifics about her home life. 

The TV was put on a series channel but both ignored it and pretty much just stared into the white wall, contemplating their lives and everything that had been happening so far. At least that was what Byleth did, whereas Ingrid was left wondering if she was sitting too close to the other girl, if she should stop making assumptions on what had happened, if it would be ok for her to bring the issue again and if it wouldn’t be better if they tackled some of the homework that had been assigned on that day. 

Well, some girls would rather talk it out, right? That at least had always been Dorothea’s case, though Ingrid herself was more used to dealing with her feelings by completely ignoring them and -

“What’s on your mind?” Byleth inquired, her voice soft and distant; her tone was enough to let the blonde know she was indeed suffering in silence, probably too wrapped up in thoughts of her own. 

Ingrid had half a mind to let her know deflecting like that wouldn’t work, that they should be talking about her instead. But sometimes in the past she had ended up hurting others with approaches like that. Rowan for example, when they had been too busy and stressed out trying to figure out how they felt about themselves, how they wanted to address the confusion they had felt throughout so many years. A conflict which had been internalized, silenced and seen as unimportant in a household that valued tradition and close mindedness over self expression and respect for each and every human being. 

At least that had ended up well, with Rowan eventually confiding in Ingrid and finding on her the support they needed to move forward and let the people that mattered know about it. About the real Rowan that existed underneath the image their parents had created about them.

Would the same happen if Ingrid were to prod Byleth into opening up?

She doubted it, so decided to try something different instead even if the result she wanted was the same. “I uh… I don’t know if this is helping you or making things worse.”

Byleth seemed to deflate, almost merged with the brown couch. Her gaze focused straight ahead, at the pristine white wall instead of the TV that stood a little askew, over a little rectangular piece of furniture that also had an opening for an old DVD set and some CDS on its side. The windows that were to their left, a little closer to the dining table than the living room itself, gave a soothing light that would probably fade sooner than normal given how overcast the day had remained from morning to afternoon.

Almost as if it were a nod to their state of mind, to how nebulous and hazy everything was between the four girls. 

“It’s helping… I think,” Byleth finally answered, her eyes falling over a spot on the sofa instead of on the girl whose arms were almost touching hers. “It’s good to be away from all of that, though I’m feeling a little bad about not being there at the same time? It’s weird.”

“I understand,” Ingrid said, gently taking one of Byleth's hands and caressing it. “It’s like, we _should_ be at school but also that’s not… the best place for you to be right now?”

“Yeah. Just like that,” she nodded, sighed and fleetingly looked at the TV, at the program they were ignoring. It was nice to be with Ingrid, she decided right then, what with how she didn’t impose and respected her privacy no matter what. How no words were wasted between them and everything felt a lot calmer right then.

That was on the outside, of course. Inside, in the rivulets of her mind and everything that had been left unsaid, Byleth was reeling from how loud her thoughts were. How she kept reliving and analyzing her exchange with Edelgard as intently as she could. How, no matter in which way she tried looking at the situation, she could neither find a way to reverse it or to make it a little bit better.

How, although more than an hour had already passed between that scene in the nurse’s office and then, her heart still panged and ached in pretty much the same ways as it had before. 

She wondered then if the pain would ever pass, and when. 

“Ha, would you look at that,” Ingrid uttered a second later, a small snicker leaving her mouth no matter how grim that situation was. When Byleth turned to glance at her, she had her mobile in hand and was typing away a message in response, then locked the screen and shook her head. 

“What? Is something going on?” she asked since her friend said nothing more. It felt bad to pry, but they could use some good news from time to time too. 

“N-nothing, but apparently Dorothea ditched classes too,” Ingrid answered, emerald eyes for once leaving the other girl during a slight second. “Said it would be a better use of her time to go home and do her homework instead of listening to Hilda and Caspar being slandered by the teacher when they were called to solve something on the board.”

She left aside a certain information however, one that she thought wasn’t as good for Byleth to know as of then. But it had surely been a funny message that she got, considering their setting in that moment in time. 

“That does sound like them, yes. She’ll have better luck on her own and also uh… tell her to message me if she has any questions about anything.” The last part was added in an almost whisper, as if she were ashamed to admit it.

At first Ingrid was tempted to do that and pat Byleth’s hand, then continue to pretend watching a show neither were interested at - what with how that man and woman with zero chemistry were laying it a little too thick with the flirting and all. Instead, once a new idea came to mind, she suddenly turned off the TV and turned to meet two dull, surprised cornflower blue irises.

“You know what? She can chill for a while and solve her own equations.” She held both of Byleth’s hands then, smiled the slightest and went on, with the most pleading tone she could muster right then: “Would you help me with mine? I’m really scared about tomorrow’s test - and history too ugh. Please, I’ll give you some cake or cookie or whatever that you want in return.”

In the moment of anticipation before Byleth gave a small chuckle and nodded her head in acceptance, Ingrid’s heart sped up and she thought she would explode from tension alone. That kept up when they moved to the dining table beside the living room, the place where the blonde had been forced to pray with her family night after night to her dismay.

That afternoon however, it was put to a much better use as they went through equations, Byleth patiently explaining and walking her through the necessary steps in order to solve them time and time again. She never lashed out at her friend, nor raised her voice in annoyance once Ingrid forgot or jumped a number, an operation and the likes. Focusing on something else also allowed her to relax, to slowly and gradually forget what had happened a few hours ago.

How her voice and her words had harmed another one, even though they now seemed to be able to help Ingrid in the subjects she struggled the most.

Yet thanks to Edelgard’s help the weeks before, it was already visible to see the blonde had improved and stopped making some mistakes she had made whenever she had to take a maths exam throughout her school life. So this time they finished all the extra exercises professor Hanneman had assigned to them and the ones in their workbooks too a lot earlier than expected.

“You’re doing great, no need to be scared of tomorrow,” Byleth said with the smallest of smiles once Ingrid has done the last equation completely by herself, a feat that wasn’t easily seen whenever she was studying with someone else. “You’ll do better than me and uh- Dorothea.”

She had meant to say Edelgard and both knew it, the mere thought of her name making the taller girl look downcast for the first time in all that time. That was when Ingrid decided something had to be done about it, or else her idea to distract and help Byleth would have been in vain. 

“Hey, By,” she began with a smile, covering the back of her hand with her own palm once she put the pencil down. “You’re amazing, do you know that? Whatever happened there, it… it doesn’t make you less.”

The pained expression she got made Ingrid wonder if she had done or said the worst possible thing she could have. Byleth sighed, shaking her head and glancing at a point in the pristine white wall in front of her. She stood silent for a while, weighing if she should say something.

If it wouldn’t make her seem untrustworthy if she didn’t, especially after everything Ingrid had done to her in that afternoon alone.

“I… hurt her. Terribly,” she vaguely whispered, thoughts once again roaring inside her head, trying to determine what had made her say such things.

“Did you mean to?” The blonde asked, though the answer was plain to see in her demeanor, in the tears that had fallen and threatened to do so again once that was said. 

She remained silent, shook her head and did her best to make sure she wouldn’t start crying again. Tears wouldn’t solve anything, wouldn't take back the words she had uttered as praise and had sounded as an accusation. As gloating even. 

“It all came out wrong, so wrong,” Byleth mumbled, took some comfort from how Ingrid was squeezing her hands in a slow, rhythmic way. The touch grounded her thoughts, all the ideas that rushed through her mind as to how she would never be able to step closer to the girl again. 

That pretty girl with the lilac eyes, the sharp mind that wasn’t afraid of conjuring sharper words whenever the need to protect her friends arised. The great gamer that had always challenged her when their two personas met on championship after championship as well. 

The one that would probably never look at her again, at least not with the same thankfulness she had spotted that morning for the first time. 

“Mistakes happen, By,” Ingrid said in a soft tone, surprising the other girl when she got to her feet and embraced her from the side, holding her close just like before. “It doesn’t make you any less and it doesn’t mean Edelgard will never forgive you.”

“It was really bad, Ingrid,” Byleth shook her head, crumbled on herself, glad that the blonde was there and caresing her so tenderly. “I don’t think she will.”

“Well yeah, she can be really headstrong for sure,” the blonde conceded, then urged her friend to stand up so they could hug better. “And quick to judge, I’ve seen the way she’s reacted to some stuff you’ve done for her. But that doesn’t mean that deep down, she doesn’t know you’re not out there to spite her. There’s a difference between helping someone because you wanna make them seem less, and helping them because you care.”

Although she disagreed with all of that, sure that Edelgard was now one hundred percent positive she was the worst person in the world, she had no energy to argue the point and explain herself fully - not without exposing either of them as gamers, something she had no intention of doing. So she took some comfort in the physical contact, in all the care her friend was showering her with in so many different ways before mumbling the one big question she couldn’t seem to answer herself:

“What do I do now, though?”

Ingrid thought for a while, seeing pros and cons of several approaches that all seemed valid and nice until she put it all in the perspective of that particular situation. “Let her be for some time. Give her space to go through what happened not just with you, but before. It’s been… quite a day for Edelgard and she needs to heal and rest. It’ll be worse if you approach her now and do something she can take the wrong way again.”

That wasn’t a plan of action that Byleth actually liked. No matter how happy she was to spend her evenings and afternoons gaming, having all the junk food she could get her hands on (and her brother to buy of course), watching cartoons and the sorts, she was always one for action. For doing something instead of waiting for a better outcome to come forth out of nowhere. 

Granted, it made sense that Edelgard would need time to rest and gather her thoughts about everything, what with the PE fiasco and how what had seemed like the worst possible outcome for her had come true right then - then Byleth’s words had sealed the deal in her mind. And yes, it would be better to keep her distance and maybe do one thing or another that wouldn’t be taken the wrong way until that storm subsided. 

But goddess be damned, she already knew how miserable she would be while just _waiting_ for things to change. For El to hate her less so they could talk again. 

In any case she nodded to that, her heart panging in response to the mere idea of hanging there, of hoping that one day things would be better. That didn’t mean she shouldn’t feel grateful for the friends that had helped her so much thus far, though.

“I- I hate that but it makes sense and I’ll try it,” she admitted, earning a small chuckle from the blonde that held her even though Byleth was taller than her. “Thanks for hearing and distracting me… Ingie.”

Ingrid thought she would combust at the sound of a barely used nickname, no matter how many years they had been friends. She was about to prattle something in response, how it had been nothing and she hadn’t even gotten any detail on what exactly was said, when Byleth gifted her with a small peck on the cheek.

To say she pretty much melted right there and then - and had absolutely no recollection of what happened next until she walked Byleth to the door and bid her goodbye - was a very, very big understatement.

* * *

It took a while for the infirmary to grow silent, and remain like that for more than some seconds without a sob breaking the new stillness. Luckily the curtains had been already drawn when Dorothea came in, making for a nice ambience in which she could do her best to soothe Edelgard. 

At first it was hard to do so, to get some words in between her weeping, the gasping breaths and the heaving sighs. While those were going on, Thea had simply resorted to caressing her, holding the smaller girl as close as she could, head nuzzling on her neck as both sat on the bed.

When the worst of that was gone and El was left shivering and sniffling once in a while, Dorothea drew her closer and rested her cheek over the other girl’s silky, messy hair. She was unsure if saying something would be helpful in that moment, so she allowed them to enjoy the silence for a few more seconds, until she could feel her friend’s stance relaxing even the slightest bit. 

“Edie honey, you’re freezing,” she whispered in the softest tone she could muster in order to not scare her in any possible way. It was a relief when that was the case and the sentence was answered with a small, timid nod.

That was such a contrast to the Edelgard she knew that it surprised her at first, but then that was expected after what she supposed had been an awful day just for PE itself. Never mind what had occurred between her and Byleth after that.

Whatever that had been, she wondered if she would even get to hear about it to begin with. One issue at a time though, and for then she had to make sure the girl in her arms wouldn’t keep trembling like that forever. Thea rubbed her back with both arms before moving to her forearms and flinching when that was met with a wince and a hiss.

“I- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to -” She started, only for El to pull away and look at her with reddened lilac eyes, a small shake of her head.

“It’s not your f-fault that everything… everything hurts.” New tears sprang to her eyes, ran down her cheeks before Thea could embrace her again.

The moment she did, however, she took a bit of the white blanket underneath them and enveloped the smaller girl with it, trying to make her as comfortable as possible. Wishing she could take away her pain in some form or another, or to at least be helpful in any way. 

“It’ll be ok, dear,” she said again, shushing her when more sobs came forth and she tensed again, probably thinking about all that had been hurting her on that day. “Do you wanna talk about something?”

When Edelgard just shook her head, bringing herself closer to Dorothea and finally embracing her as well, the taller girl went back to being silent and simply attempted to be there for her, to ground her to reality instead of whatever thoughts were going through her mind right then and there. It was easier said than done, though - Thea had always been one to push Ingrid until she spoke, for example, coaxing the blonde with soft words and gentle touches, letting her know everything was fine and would be fine no matter what.

She was sure that response wouldn’t happen if she were to do the same to El. She would be told to go away and leave her alone once and for all so she could suffer in peace. Each person was different and needed their own time and space to come around, to open up if necessary and finally to heal.

Since it was the first time she had seen Edelgard in such a state and she was relatively new to their friendship dynamics, she was pretty much going to be playing by ear.

Yet in a way it didn’t take long for her to understand what would be a good course of action, that sometimes silence could be way better than meaningless words, even more so when she had close to no idea on what had transpired between Byleth and the other girl. The one who slowly left her arms and did her best to beam, wiping tears out of her eyes and attempting to look her best already.

“T-thanks for staying with me,” Edelgard uttered, looking away at some point in the closed hospital curtain behind her friend. “It means… a lot to me. You should go back to class or maybe get lunch soon, however.”

Dorothea looked at the small, contrite girl in front of her and sighed, allowing herself a moment to think on what would be better. Should she listen to that subtle request for space, even though it seemed like El hadn’t been completely adverse to being touched and soothed like that? Or should she understand it as something very alike to what she usually did, telling others she was fine and only crumbling when no one else was watching?

It was when Edelgard hugged herself, face screwing with what felt like a fresh wave of tears, that Thea was a bit more certain it was more the latter than the former. And while she could relate to the other girl, knowing what it was like to feel like a burden, as if their own emotions didn’t matter and should be bottled instead so they could focus on something else, the last thing she wanted was for the smaller girl to think that was the case for her too.

“Why don’t you come with me then? We can get some amazing food and I heard there’s a new ice-cream place close so we could -” She suggested with an encouraging smile on her face, wanting to know if the talk of a treat would make her lighten up for a little while - even if it were for another reason than any of her issues being solved. 

“I’m not hungry,” her voice was clipped, but even so Dorothea could hear the tears she was trying too hard to suppress, the edge of pain in her tone. 

She couldn’t even imagine what type of things she was attempting to keep away from her, out of her face and irises but definitely not out of her mind. 

“Edie, you haven’t eaten anything at all today,” she stated, worried. It had concerned her before too during PE, when the girl was so pale Dorothea thought she would collapse at any given second (then fretted at every single time she had tripped and fallen, her heart speeding up the slightest due to it).

“It’s ok,” Edelgard answered, still not looking at her and huddling the covers she had been wrapped at closer to her body. It stood as a shield, something that could keep her emotionally and physically distant from the world at large.

Why didn’t that offer her any solace from those thoughts, from the doubts and the words which kept repeating themselves in her mind?

“Thanks for your concern but truly, you’re ok to go. I don’t want to keep you stuck here with me out of pity or- “ She went on, then gasped in surprise when the gentlest hand she had ever felt tilted her chin up so she could galce at Dorothea’s shining, sad emerald eyes. 

The color was so striking even in the shadowy, secluded atmosphere of the nurse’s office that she was taken aback by its intensity, by how… fully there it seemed to be. It was a contrast to how some of her old classmates at Wilhelm I had tried pretending to like her, to care about her in some way or another only to later spite her for being so naive. 

There was a feeling in those eyes that she couldn’t name, though she supposed something similar was coursing through her own bloodstream at that moment in time. Especially when Thea scooted closer to her and took hold of her two hands, caressing them.

“It’s ok. I don’t pity you or anything of the sorts, that’s not the kind of feeling you deserve,” Dorothea answered with a kind smile. “But please let me help you in some way or another. Have lunch with me at the very least, or… No, wait, hold that.”

Before El could ask what was going on, Thea let go of one of her hands and fished for her backpack, which she had placed beside Edelgard’s on the floor before hugging and solacing her before. Once she was able to fully get it, she got her mobile out of it, placed her other hand on her friend’s shoulder in a side hug before dialing a number she knew by heart with one hand, eyes glittering with something mischievous behind it.

Had she been in a better, less confused and hazy state, Edelgard would have asked what she had in mind or said no altogether. Yet right there and then she felt too small, useless and powerless to do anything of the sorts, to even utter one word in objection or a question about her behavior.

“Strange,” Thea mumbled once some seconds had passed and no one picked up the phone. “She’s usually at home by this time but maybe she went out for groceries? One second, dear,” she added when El finally managed to give her some sort of puzzled look. 

After the same happened for another three or four attempts, Dorothea put down her phone and shrugged, glancing at it as if it would answer her all of a sudden. “Well, never mind that, it doesn’t matter at the end of the day.”

“Dorothea, what’s- “

“Honey, that’s enough school for today and I think you more than deserve to take the rest of the day off to yourself,” she winked, grabbed the other girl’s hands again and squeezed them, already dismissing the little refusal she saw blooming in her face. “Cmon, there’ll be no more tests this afternoon and the teachers did say we’d only do revisions, which you certainly don’t need. Also, I have some pain pills at home if you'd like them.”

The response was almost automatic, one born out of years doubting people that sooner or later would turn against her then join the ranks of the peers who would call her names no matter what she did. “N-no, I wouldn’t want to impose anyways. You have done more than enough alrea-”

“Yeah, yeah, Miss von Hreslvelg, and I’m the queen of Fódlan reincarnated,” Dorothea shushed her, waving their joined hands around for a while. “Listen, I know you’re alllll for being a model student, going to lectures and having the best possible answers. That’s amazing and I wish I could have even a little of your dedication and yes, I’ve seen how your workbooks are almost completely filled up. But seriously Edie, it’s ok to not be ok. Or to not be up to staying at school, especially after everything that has happened today.”

It would be easy for her to argue, to say that things would feel a lot better if she was placed back in the classroom and forced to focus, to keep on going as if nothing had changed. However, all it took was for her to imagine sitting behind Byleth Eisner for some more hours and her entire body protested, tears coming to her eyes once that cruel admittance of how inferior she was echoed in her mind again.

 _“Silver looks so good on you.”_ Everything about that moment had been wrong, an accusation and belittling that were almost masked as some form of praise, some nod to how she had gone so far on getting second place… But at the same time, she was still less. Her efforts as always hadn’t been enough and more than likely never would be enough for as long as Byleth was in the equation. 

An equation that for once she couldn’t solve and made her heart race in response not only to it, but at the implication that someone else knew of her identity. Someone who was petty, patronizing and would probably turn her into the laughing stock of the entire school by next day.

The thought was so strong she knew she gasped, the sound small and helpless against the big nurse’s office. One that made Dorothea eye her in concern and think about pulling her over for another hug, but stopped when Edelgard shook her head and trembled even under the covers.

“Dear, you do need to eat as well and this place is no good for you,” Thea pressed with a slight squeeze of one hand, the other rising to caress the silken, chestnut hair that framed Edelgard’s face. “Come on, I think there’s some leftovers from an amazing Sreng restaurant at home and some dessert as well. Unless you feel like having what you packed, and in this case we can eat here, but anyways. I swear you won’t be imposing.”

Dorothea’s emerald eyes shone in her direction with a mixture of excitement and understanding. Her expression was open, letting it be known that it would be ok if the invitation was denied, but the taller girl had no plans of leaving her to mope by herself in any case. It was an easy decision then; she had already been to Thea’s place more than once and knew the way back. She was really tired, mentally and physically, to the point that she was sure it would be a miracle if she heard one word her teachers would utter next. And, to her complete surprise since she had never felt something like that before, she actually wanted to be in the other girl’s company. 

She wanted to take the offer, to stop wondering if that was another plan to turn her into a fool in the eyes of the whole school - Byleth would probably fulfill that role already, no doubt. She wanted to not have to stare at a blackboard or at the meticulous schedules she had done a month before examination week began. 

More than anything she wanted to disappear, to not have so many feelings coursing through her at once. But for that, she knew she needed a distraction more potent than revisions on stupid mountain formations around Fódlan would ever be. She needed… she needed Dorothea to hug her again, the way she had done before, and to be sure the world had good things and good moments instead of only a disaster after another. 

In the end she mutely nodded and almost giggled when her companion started jumping on the hospital bed, as if she were a kid that had been told they got their favorite sweet ever for the rest of the week. Luckily there was no sight of Mercedes anywhere around there, so they were able to gather their belongings and sneak out of it - not before Edelgard could make the bed that had been ruffled by the two girls.

It made sense that the corridors were empty, as it was lunch time and everyone else in the entire school would be at the caf-ew-teria or dining hall, studying some or doing their best to eat as fast as they could so they might be able to take a nap in an empty room later on. Dorothea led Edelgard by the hand, at the same time helping her balance and respecting the fact that she was limping a lot because of her twisted ankle. 

The procession through Garreg Mach High was slow and silent, tense since both girls kept looking around and hoping against hope they would never run into a certain someone, the one person that more than likely would make El’s fury show up again. Both exhaled in relief the moment they were out of the main gates and into the sprawling city, one that stood in more colors than the sky in that overcast day.

Garreg Mach offered them hope in the form of bright yellow candy shops that Dorothea took the other girl into, then made sure to at least get one sweet that she chose or seemed interested at. The burgundy of carnations and dahlias that grounded them when they stopped at one of the roundabouts and sat down on the metal bench that stood there so El could rest, then watched the plants that adorned the place behind them, the cars that zoomed by in front of them. Or the deep blue of the bus they took to the part of the city where Thea lived, a familiar one whose movement lulled Edelgard to sleep again, her head perched on the taller girl’s shoulder until she had to gently be coaxed awake since they had arrived.

Then the greens, whites and silvers of beautifully tended gardens around the neighborhood, as they made a more peaceful walk until Thea’s house, now stopping here and there to discuss some flowers (or strange decorations, like a green manakete and a wizard that had taken residence in the front yard of one of the taller girl’s neighbours).

Nevertheless it was a relief to open the front door and remove their shoes, place their bags on hangers which stood beside the door and parade into the living room still holding hands. 

“Strange,” Dorothea mumbled to herself, then shook her head and made up an explanation or another about that before Edelgard turned questioning eyes to her. “Oh it’s nothing really. Now, why don’t we go to the kitchen and get something nice to eat?”

She saw that Edelgard opened her mouth to protest and squeezed her hand once before leading the way, humming to herself with the thought of treating her guest to the best (leftover) meal she could think about. And sweets. She knew Edelgard had a soft spots for sweets and luckily there was a very good chocolate pie in the fridge too.

In the end there was no need for her to talk the girl into eating, as being away from the school had made her relax a little already and that was enough for her to actually accept some food - her own, but of course the moment she saw what was in stock for dessert she had to ask for a slice of that.

Once they had cleared their plate and bowl, Dorothea told Edelgard to wait at the couch, the one that stood in front of a TV and a console that had been kept downstairs after Thea and Ingrid had taken to practicing some Fokken after they were done with revisions. The sight alone was enough to bring a few tears back to El’s eyes, her mind intent on torturing her with what Byleth had said. 

As a result Dorothea enveloped her in a hug the moment she joined the smaller girl and saw that she was on the verge of crying again. 

“Do you wanna talk, sweetheart?” She asked, taking a seat on the couch before offering her the glass of water and pill she had previously set on the arm of the sofa. “Here, this will help with the pain too.”

“Thank you,” El took them, her hands shaking a bit once they closed around the cup. “And n-no, I would rather not discuss that. If it’s ok with you.”

“It is,” Thea nodded, placed a soothing hand on her shoulder and caressed. “But I want you to know I’m here for everything, ok? You’re very important to me, Edie.”

When Edelgard’s face twisted in a frown and more tears fell, she was left wondering if she had said something awful, something that had hurt her instead of offering some semblance of comfort. Until she heard the words which were said in a small, sad voice that made her heart lurch with pain. “You shouldn't bother with a failure like me.”

Dorothea looked as the girl in front of her covered her face with both arms, shrinking into herself as if whatever had happened before was so much, she would rather not be there at all. What was worse, Thea herself had lost count of how many times she had either thought about or uttered those words in different circumstances, effortlessly relating to the pain behind each and every tear and sob.

So it was easy for her to tentatively pull Edelgard into a longer embrace, set her head over her right shoulder and circle her back with both arms. It would be natural for her to praise the teen in her arms, to make a list of all her qualities and the sorts as well. Yet if that predicament was anything like what Dorothea herself sometimes experienced, nothing good would come out of her wasting words that wouldn’t be heard. 

It didn’t mean she shouldn’t try, though. “Honey, that’s not who you are at the slightest,” she uttered, lightly petting her back. “No matter how many things go wrong, it doesn’t define you at all. Everyone makes mistakes, your PE test doesn’t make you a failure.”

Edelgard shook her head at that, hands falling from her face and setting limply on Dorothea’s sides. “I-it wasn’t just that,” she mumbled, only to break into more sobs and grow silent afterwards.

“I’ll be here to listen when and if you’re ready to talk,” Thea said after a while, hoping she could do something, anything at all to ease that pain. That she wouldn’t fail someone who was needing her help right then. 

She had always been good at solacing people, though most of them would have already talked about what was upsetting them to begin with. Was it a sign of how bad she was or just an indicator that her Edie was a bit different from them, requiring more time and space to open up?

“Do you want to be alone for a while, dear?” That could be it too, there were always people who would rather cry by themselves. Though if the hug they were sharing meant anything, she didn’t think it was the case.

A second later Edelgard just shook her head and held Dorothea tighter, curling into her as her thoughts went on and on about how awful she was. About how her family moving to Garreg Mach had simply made everything worse, how she should have found a way to stay back in Enbarr before her parents could drag her all the way there.

But then…

Then she would still be the friendless girl whose school days were restricted to attending classes and taking notes, answering questions and doing her best to excel in every possible way. All of that while walking alone, trying to pretend she was deaf to what others said behind her back. All of that with no one to write cute notes on her notebook when the day had just started and she was freaking out about PE, or caress her back right there while she cried, after inviting her to their house and almost offering to cook for her. 

It was the first time she had had any friends in her life, people who she could really trust and that treated her with all that care. The gratitude which overtook her was so strong that more tears clouded her eyes, mingling with those which had been caused by her self-deprecating thoughts before. 

The same thoughts that came back then to make her ask herself if she even deserved those girls and all the acceptance they had been giving her thus far. 

It really took a while for the worst of her tears to subside, as her mind kept going around in circles about those matters and creating more issues that made everything worse. Yet Dorothea remained with her through it all, either shushing or at some time humming the sweetest melody to her. 

Once Edelgard was dry-eyed again but still holding onto the other girl for dear life, Dorothea moved a little and readjusted her so that now Edie was nuzzling her neck and almost sitting on Thea’s lap. If that wasn’t enough of a comforting surprise, it was followed by a soft, quick peck to the crown of her head. 

“You can lie down and sleep if you want. Just make yourself comfortable and don’t be shy about it,” Dorothea whispered, glad that Edelgard slowly seemed to be giving in to the embrace, relaxing her shoulders and body at once. 

“No, I… Do you want to study something, Thea? It- it’s the least I can do for all that you have-”

“Shh, no studying allowed. We escaped school to avoid that, remember?” She chuckled, her heart lurching at the notion that Edelgard wanted to do something for her while being in a state like that. “Relax and enjoy the time off, you deserve it.”

Time off… the word echoed in her mind for some seconds without her knowing why, until it hit her and she almost pulled away from the other girl with a jolt. “Dorothea, your job!”

Thea’s smile was warm and genuine, grateful that she had remembered about that as well. “I’ve told my boss I’m not coming today, that a friend of mine wasn’t feeling well. She’s really understanding so no worries about - no, hey, I’m serious. Don’t worry about that,” the last part was added in a haste as she saw Edelgard wince. “Everything’s fine and you can stay here for as long as you want.”

When later on Dorothea closed the distance between them and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, then another on her cheek, she blushed from a different reason than the fact that she had been crying her heart out a few minutes ago.

It was really easy for Edelgard to accept that offer and actually lie down on the couch, her head on Thea’s lap while she caressed the silky brown hair that fell like a curtain around her closed eyes.

* * *

Manuela had arrived some hours later with a wide smile on her face, one that only got wider when she saw Dorothea and Edelgard sitting side by side on the couch, holding hands while a sad-looking Edie helped her charge with Physics (in the end, once El was up she had begged and begged to be of some help to Thea, with the taller girl relenting and grabbing their school things so they could work on something).

The two girls were surprised by how dark it was outside - even more so when they checked their phones for the time and realized it was pretty close to dinner already. Edelgard had gotten up all of a sudden and apologized, saying it would be better if she left, but both Dorothea and Manuela insisted that it would be more than ok for her to stay the night. The woman had noticed the look on her face, how she seemed downcast and really upset. What kind of person would she be if she just made her walk home like that?

In the end Edelgard had relented and called her parents to ask for permission, only to get Fiona instead and have her pass the message that she wouldn’t be going home.

She cheered up when Dorothea and Manuela coaxed her into choosing their pizza flavors and even ate a little more once it arrived. No matter how much she had napped throughout the day, however, she still yawned and looked tired while sitting at the table itself, to the point that they had given her a few towels, one of Dorothea’s pijamas (the pants would probably brush over the floor but that was ok), then almost ushered her to use the bathtub and relax for as long as she needed. 

It was a good thing that she had taken the suggestion though, as Dorothea had wanted to talk to Manuela the moment the woman walked in. The two sat on the couch and ignored the news after preparing a room so Edelgard could be comfortable, sighing in relief at everything.

“Busy day?” Thea inquired, turning towards the woman and noticing the small signs of fatigue etched on her face. The way her cheeks were pale even though they had just eaten, how her eyes were drooping as well.

“You could say that, but I feel like it has really paid off too,” Manuela’s voice was hopeful, her irises shining through the tiredness, through the uncertainty that Dorothea had seen there in the last few weeks. “I’d rather not talk about it until I have a concrete answer, but if it does happen… It would be really amazing for both of us, honey.”

Dorothea couldn’t help smiling regardless, smirking once she realized there _had_ been something that the woman was hiding from her before. “Then I’m glad and hope it goes well! Unless… Oh no, Manuela, you’re not planning on having us move, right?” The girl widened her eyes in mock horror, placed both hands on her mouth as if to stifle a scream.

“No, you dramatic fool, nothing like that. I think it’d be nice if you finished high school in Garreg Mach, unless you feel like another place would be better for us. Then we’d decide together where to go,” Manuela winked, though she had rolled her eyes and laughed at the entire thing. It was fun to see her charge loosening up like that - she had been a bit on edge when Edelgard was around. “And you, dear? What happened today?”

The girl’s face screwed up in thought and sadness, to the point that the woman almost regretted asking that. “It was a ride, Manuela. We had a PE test today and… let’s just say it went too badly for poor Edie. She got seriously hurt too, I gave her a pain pill earlier and all. But then,” she stopped, took a deep breath and shook her head. “Both her and Byleth were crying - apparently Byleth said some horrible things to Edie and well, I couldn’t just leave her like that, right?”

“Byleth?” She inquired, intrigued. “Not to meddle in that situation and you do know your friends better than anyone else, but I almost can’t see that girl doing something like that.” She recalled how their interactions had been on all the times that the four girls had studied in her house too. “Are you sure it wasn’t just one big misunderstanding?”

“Ingrid messaged me some time ago and said it was. She uh, she was with Byleth this afternoon and it looks like neither Edelgard nor Byleth are talking specifics, which just makes everything worse. But yeah, apparently Byleth said she hadn’t meant to hurt Edie.” Dorothea sighed, shaking her head. "Ugh, that fool. I was about to say something about it. Now everything is worse and I’m-”

“Hey hey, slow down there, dear,” the woman placed a hand on her forearm, squeezed it. “What are you talking about?”

Silence stood between them, Dorothea’s mind a mist of jumbled, half-formed thoughts that made the sounds of the TV completely irrelevant. Her heart raced with the words she wanted to say, the words she was afraid of uttering even though she knew her guardian would be supportive.

However, it was one thing to imagine and think about the possibilities, another altogether to speak about them and make everything more palpable. Bringing some materiality to both the good and bad outcomes of something her heart and mind had been whispering to her for weeks.

Nevertheless, she pushed through the ache, the anxiety and the fear of being ridiculed, of being alone, and whispered with so much reverence, it was almost like a small prayer that things would be ok: “I- I think I like Edelgard.”

“Ok, this doesn’t really surprise me, so -”

“And Ingrid. And Byleth.” Dorothea’s eyes were fixed on the TV, but she had no idea at all what was on it. She had to continue that, though. To let it all go for the best or the worst. “I don’t know what to do now. I wanted to ask them out, but I’m afraid they’ll laugh at me or call me names or… leave me be.” The thought was so terrifying, to lose her friends because of who she was, that she clutched Manuela’s hands with as much strength as she could. “Now they’re fighting, Edelgard is hurt, I- I can’t just drop that on them and -”

“Hush dear, it’ll be ok,” the woman pulled her into a hug and caressed her back, beaming to herself when the girl relaxed. “Don’t they know that you’re polyamorous? I mean, wasn’t that the reason why Monica broke up with you? And sorry to say it but I’m glad you’re no longer together, that girl was something.”

Dorothea chuckled in agreement, though the only things she had from Monica were horrible memories of being called names just for being able to love more than one person at once. “Yeah but… I didn’t tell them the entire story. Only that she was an awful girlfriend and the likes. I’ve been dropping some hints here and there but I don’t think they’ve really understood it.”

She sniffed, felt the sting of unshed tears behind her eyes. All of that time she had been trying to help others, casting her own emotions to the side. It was a terrible moment for them to resurface, but it didn’t feel as if she had any control over that either. It had been an emotional day all things considered. “Manuela, what should I do?”

The woman thought about it for a while, allowing her charge to break the hug and look at her in the eyes. She beamed, recalling the first time they had talked about poliamory in a night not so unlike that one, when Dorothea had asked for her advice as well. There was no way she wasn’t proud of the little girl who was growing into such a thoughtful, incredible person, who had done so in front of her very eyes. Who was trying her best to accept herself and her feelings in a world that often told her she was wrong.

“First, I’d say you should step away from this situation. Solace your friends if you want to, but don’t try solving the issue yourself. That’s between Edelgard and Byleth - they should be the ones to talk and make sure everything is ok. For now you have to wait and see how it goes, unfortunately so, but keep dropping the little hints and showing them that you care.” The woman stopped, patted her head once. “Don’t be afraid of trying, honey. I’m sure they would still be your friends, regardless of what their response is."

That wasn’t a completely comforting answer, but it was an honest one and Dorothea would rather hear the truth than several make-belief scenarios that would delude her, only to break her later on. She smiled at Manuela and thanked her, just in time for them to hear Edelgard leaving the bathroom and making her way to the bedroom alone.

That night, as the two girls shared a bed - not because there weren’t others, but the comfort of having another human being close by was too good to pass on - Dorothea kept thinking about what had been said. She absentmindedly combed her Edie’s hair with her fingers, a soothing motion that soon put the smaller girl to sleep while nuzzling her neck, and wondered if one day Byleth and Ingrid would join that picture too.

Meanwhile, the rest of the day had gone the same as usual in the Galatea household. What had changed was Ingrid’s approach to it, since she had been so far afield and enveloped in her own thoughts that not even her father’s stupid remarks about her finding a rich boyfriend got to her. She had nodded at that, though truth be told she hadn’t even heard the words, and muttered prayers with the same enthusiasm of a kid reading a treaty on adult life. 

Rowan had been the only one to notice the difference, but there had been no time or opportunity for them to ask their sister what was going on. It had been a hectic day with even more to clean since their father had done the amazing, very civilized act of not taking off his shoes before walking indoors, treading mud from the outside into the floor they had already cleared. It had been annoying and tiresome to redo that, to the point that both siblings were pretty sure they would simply fall asleep the moment they got to their beds - at almost 2am on a Tuesday.

Yet Ingrid couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had happened on Monday, especially her afternoon with Byleth, their conversation and well… the little kiss that had followed. As she lay under a ragged duvet her father had given her for her birthday that year, she placed a hand on her cheek and remembered it, the feeling of those soft lips, how gentle and caring it had all been.

How amazing and flustered she had felt whenever they touched and how it had been good to see that vulnerable side of Byleth too. 

The good sensation was replaced by confusion the second a mental image of Dorothea, smart, charming, beautiful and witty Dorothea, came to her mind. She sighed and recalled their many moments together, running hand in hand last Halloween after taking too many sweets from a stingy guy who never gave the kids more than three pieces of candy. All the days they had studied together, with Thea promising her a kiss on the cheek if she did well - funny enough, Ingrid had always gone through homework or extra exercises faster and better whenever that promise had been there. Them playing together as well, practicing to a tourney that had graced her with third place, the bronze medal gleaming proudly from her study table. 

Those were all sweet moments that made the blonde blush, roll to the other side of the bed and put her hands over her heart, smiling the slightest for the first time on that day. But then…

Then there was Edelgard, with her quick wit and sharp tongue, her intelligence and beauty. How not to like her, how not to want to be near her? Whenever they touched by mistake, Ingrid would profusely apologize and blush, only to have her hand squeezed in reassurance. She would never forget how the smaller girl had practically begged her to join the championship, saying she would aid with math and whatever else Ingrid needed, so long as she did what her heart desires and played.

Those memories swirled around her mind, making her beam at one second, then sigh, frown and mumble at the next. What could that possibly mean? It couldn’t be that she -

“Is everything ok, sis?”

She almost yelped when Rowan opened her room door and peeked inside, finding Ingrid sitting on her bed and considering an issue or another with too much care. Knowing their sister, it was either something she was overreacting about or her latest happening at school. Or both, as they tended to mingle a lot.

“Y-yeah I was just… sorry, did I wake you up?” The blonde asked, patting the place beside her on the bed so her sibling could get closer.

“No, I can’t sleep for some reason. Then I just heard you pretty much having a heart attack up there and I came to see if you were fine. Or if I should call the ambulance.” Rowan smirked, then took a seat and regarded the older girl with apprehension. “Uh oh, something big happened.”

“It… Kinda did,” Ingrid said, then launched on a short tale on the strange day she had had.

She stumbled once she got to the part where Byleth had kissed her, but by the look in Rowan’s eyes and how flushed she was, she knew they already understood that something like that had transpired. It was tough to hide anything from them, after all. 

“And now here I am just… trying to make sense of this mess. Of _my_ mess,” she added on an almost whimper, causing her sibling to look at her in a silent question. Words got stuck in her throat, unwilling to leave but also bursting with a life of their own, too jittery to be kept inside for any longer. “I- I think I like them. Dorothea, Byleth and Edelgard that is. And uh I- I can’t, can I? That’s just not… how things go.”

She was scared right then and there that she had shared too much. That Rowan would look at her with disgust and walk away from her life forever, no matter how supportive they had been when Ingrid said she was pretty sure she liked girls. The fact that they remained in silence for a while, considering it as seriously as the blonde herself had been doing for the last few minutes - no, for the last few days - didn’t make it any easier. 

Until Rowan surprised both of them by hugging Ingrid and chuckling as if that had been the biggest joke of the century.

“Why would that be wrong?” They asked once they pulled away, still laughing. “So maybe you’re polyamorous and that’s fine. Also, isn’t Dorothea poly as well?”

“Hm? She never said anything about it, no. Why do you think so?” Ingrid frowned, trying to recall if her friend had mentioned something like that and coming up empty. Meanwhile, the word Rowan had said before, _polyamorous_ , echoed in her mind, making her want to smile again. It felt right, somehow. As if she had just seen something about herself she had never questioned before.

The moment of that revelation was cut short, however, when they fully laughed at her, to the point she was scared their parents would wake up and find them talking at that hour.

“I can’t believe you, oh Goddess. Poor Dorothea, she deserves a hug and a gift cause you’re really something, aren’t you?” When Ingrid stared at them with questioning, hurtful eyes, they went on: “Listen, I’ve overheard enough of your conversations to remember her jokes about it. About having two hands so she could hold two girls’s hands. Or how every video game set should come with three controllers and not two. Or her latest development, _poly_ nomials being fun because poly? That is priceless in itself. What, the walls between our rooms are thin AND the two of you are a bit too loud at times.” They added when Ingrid’s face simply fell at that.

It was Ingrid who needed a few minutes to recompose herself that time, to think about all she had just heard. Had Dorothea been making little mentions here and there that whole while? Could she, too, want to hold more than one hand? Well, she did feel like she’d never be able to choose one between Dorothea, Edelgard and Byleth, as the three of them were incredible, lovely and just… too good. 

Her smile turned into a yawn that made Rowan shake their head, mumble how unbelievable she was while also giggling at that. In the end, after her sibling promised she would always be there to talk about it once both of them had gotten some rest, Ingrid simply got back to bed and closed her eyes, a silly dream about being with the other three girls playing in the back of her mind.

 _Oh, wait,_ she thought a second later, wincing and worrying about it as she turned to face the wall, _two of them are fighting as of now._

The cruel reminder was enough for her heart to speed up for a while, wondering if that situation would one day come to an end. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter wasn't in my outline at all, but it just felt good for the girls to have a tender moment like that
> 
> Yeah it got a little longer than usual, sorry with that xD but there was a lot more to it than just soothing and talking things through - that conversation will come soon tho, promise.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed it!


	9. Single Player

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls have a difficult day back at school after the argument between Byleth and Edelgard. On top of the math test, they sort their feelings and get to talk some as well.
> 
> After some arrangements are done, Byleth gets home and faces her thoughts.

When Edelgard woke up the next morning she was surprised for a few seconds to find herself not in her spacious, airy room that would mostly be alight at that time of the day. Nor was she startled awake by the sound of her sister getting ready, stomping around the quarters next door and sometimes singing on the top of her lungs.

What was best, for once in what felt like forever she was warm, feeling comfortable since something, or rather, someone, was holding her and petting her hair as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do. 

Not that El was complaining, even less when the hands in her hair and back brought her closer to that person the moment she stirred. She sighed in relief and happiness, her mind too hazy to remember what had occured before, what had happened to place her in such a situation - or why she could feel fresh tear marks on her cheeks too.

“Hey there,” a soft voice - Dorothea’s soft voice - crooned in her ear once she moved a little away, since her head started hurting the second she was hit with one recollection or another about the last day. “Are you ok, my Edie?” 

_ My Edie. _ The way that sounded made a shiver run down Edelgard’s spine, a pleasant sensation that resulted in her beaming, though her brain was already reminding her of all the bad words she had been called by a certain someone else.

And how she had imposed on Dorothea’s house as well, to the point she had slept there instead of returning home as she had meant to last night. Hell, the two had even skipped classes because of the whole ordeal, hadn’t they? 

The thought made her feel guilty all of a sudden, causing her to slightly push Thea away with alarm in her eyes.

“Sweetheart? Did you have another bad dream?” The taller girl queried, not completely letting her go and petting her hair once more. “It’s ok, you can talk to me if you want to. There’s still some time before we have to go.”

“I- Dorothea I’m so sorry,” Edelgard mumbled at last, hiding her face and the shame she was feeling, sure the emotion was too visible in her expression. There were a multitude of sensations running through her body at that moment as well and she didn’t know which one to act on. 

Even more so when the sheer thought of going to school was enough to fill her with dread. But then there was no way for her to keep avoiding Byleth forever, nor any reason for her to be the one to go on skipping classes and the likes because of what happened between them. She shouldn’t be the one with a heavy conscience when the other girl had insulted her and made everything worse.

“Oh shush, there’s nothing for you to apologize for,” Dorothea placed a palm on her cheek, gently caressing it with a thumb. “It was fun to have you here and I learned a lot of physics in one afternoon. Enough so I think I might not fail the test now. Everything’s fine and if nothing, it’d be amazing to have you over more often.”

Edelgard closed her eyes, contemplating those words and if she could consider that enough of an answer, if she had been useful or helpful in any possible way instead of just being a burden to the other girl. Yet it was too early to decide on such a thing and her thoughts felt a bit convoluted for it as well. So she nodded, wrapped her arms around Dorothea and squeezed her back, smiling to herself once that got a gasp of surprise from Thea.

“Do you wanna talk about something, anything at all? Did that dream come back after you fell asleep again?” 

“Hm?” El pulled away to look at her, confused by the question. She could barely remember falling into the bed with Dorothea the night before, let alone waking up due to a stupid nightmare.

That did explain the tear marks on her cheeks though, once the girl told her about it, how she had woken up at least four times during the night shaking and weeping, muttering things about the Ashen Demon, silver and being perfect. 

Those words, which Edelgard failed to explain and simply glanced down when Thea asked her about them, made her heart and breath quicken to the point that she knew she was one second away from being caught on act - one act, all the acts, any act at all, she didn’t even know for sure at that point. So she did the one plausible thing she could think of before clambering out of bed and looking around for her things.

She leaned closer to Thea, mumbled a hasty, falsely cheery “thank you” and kissed her cheek. 

That proved to be the right call, as Dorothea stayed in the mattress for a few seconds longer, emerald eyes wide and hand cupping the place where El had just pecked it with a fondness that would have made Edelgard’s heart melt if she weren’t sure Ingrid was in love with her.

But that, too, was not something she wanted to think about at that moment in time. Especially since it was one of those issues that made her sad, made her wish that either she had never moved at all, or that she had gotten there earlier so she could have been their friend before. Though she would be lost if someone told her to pick between one of the two as well, and then…

Her thoughts, as well as Thea’s silence while pondering over what had just happened, were interrupted by the alarm clock springing to life with a happy song that seemed completely at odds with the mood. The girl sighed, rolled in her bed and turned it off with practiced ease, then looked at her guest and her lost expression, the way she was glancing at her backpack and seemed to be fumbling for an answer on something that had made her blush as well.

“What’s up, Edie? Anything I can help with?” She got to her feet and waited, not knowing if it was ok for her to step any closer given how distressed the smaller girl seemed to be. 

Mortified as El was with her next request, that was also something she wouldn’t be able to run away from at all. “Hm… I… I have nothing to wear to school today.”

The way Dorothea smiled, a little relieved that had been the thing on her mind, a little mischievous at how fun her solution would be, told Edelgard everything she needed to do before the taller girl opened her mouth to speak a word. “Heehee, silly, I got you covered on that. Literally”

After shooting her an excited look and going for her wardrobe, Edelgard knew she was about to suffer in some way or another.

Indeed, that suffering came in the form of her being gawked at by the entire school the second she walked into it, not because she was arm in arm with Dorothea - though that probably played a part in it as well. There were snickers and head rolls when her classmates took in her uniform… and how the sleeves of that white shirt had to be rolled several times in order to not go all the way over her hands and beyond. The rest of the shirt was tucked into her skirt, which went way over her knees. That, and how closely Thea held her, made pretty much everyone get to the same, very wrong conclusion at once.

One that Dorothea had no issues with, nor the wish to reiterate.

“Morning,” Ingrid said as she approached both Edelgard and Thea in the classroom. She looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes that spoke a lot about the night she had had. The tension in her shoulders and how her gaze kept wandering everywhere were enough to let Dorothea know she was as ready to take the calculus exam as both of them were to become physicians. “Uh.. the uh…uniform looks good - Did you sleep in Dorothea’s house?” 

“Yeah! I slept with her, it was great,” Thea said, so matter of factly, it made Ingrid almost choke when she took another breath. Edelgard, meanwhile, just tilted her head and wondered what was going on with her two friends.

A part of her, of course, was more than relieved that Miss Class President had yet to show up. She hoped it would stay like that, as she was still a bit on edge about being back to school and they're classroom to begin with - and knew it would only get worse when Byleth showed up.

“You… you did WHAT?” Ingrid screeched, calling Hilda’s and Marianne’s attention to them. Her cheeks turned such a bright tone of red, eyes moving from a smirking Dorothea to a curious, surprised Edelgard, pleading with either or both of them to tell her the truth.

“I said what I said, my Ingrid,” she winked, biting back giggles at how funny that entire thing was, especially with Edelgard looking so lost beside her. “We slept together and it was so, so very sweet. Our Edie here is such a cuddler too, this morning we were -”

“Dorothea! You don’t have to tell her all the details, do you?” El huffed, somehow making that even better since Ingrid’s jaw dropped as she took that as a confirmation. “Yes, we shared a bed and Thea was kind enough to sleep with me, what of it?”

Ingrid covered her face, unsure about where to look at or what to do after such a declaration… or why she found her own thoughts wandering to -

“Ingie, is everything ok? Was it something we said?” Edelgard’s voice was so full of concern, Dorothea couldn't help it anymore and edged away, laughing, shaking her head and wiping tears away from her eyes. That was enough for the smaller girl to realize that she had probably corroborated with something terrible. She placed a hand on Ingrid’s shoulder and squeezed it, solicitous. “Hey uh… I’m sorry for whatever it was that Dorothea made you imagine -”

“Wait, so you didn’t sleep together?” The blonde lowered her hands, glancing at the palm which rested over her shoulder. 

Before Edelgard could explain, however, her lilac irises went to the door and she hissed, pulled away and took her seat, immediately burying her head in a book or two. The change in mood was instantaneous. Dorothea stopped chuckling due to that vision and grimaced at the way Edie’s frame seemed to shake in the too big uniform. Ingrid winced and hung her head, felt her cheeks slowly returning to a normal coloration. There was a smile on her face when she looked up again and met Byleth’s small, sad expression. 

Yeah, the three girls thought once they turned just in time to see Edelgard wiping a tear from her cheek as well, it would be one hell of a day for all of them and not just because of the math test.

“By, how are you doing?” Dorothea inquired after walking to the blue-haired girl, who had stayed in front of the door watching how the situation would play out. It was clear by the way her shoulders slumped that she blamed herself for this, for the rift that had been established between the four girls. 

If only she had used better words, or just soothed Edelgard instead of tried to cheer her up. If only she hadn't brought up the gaming thing in the worst possible moment. If only she hadn’t said anything, or asked for help in order to actually express herself…

“By?” Dorotheas asked again, one hand curling on her arm and caressing it the slightest. She had yet to hear something from her on the whole matter, something about her too, as Ingrid’s reports had been inconclusive and Edelgard had refused to elaborate from the beginning. 

As much as she knew she shouldn’t pry and at best should offer her help, then wait for either or both of them to come to her, the last thing she wanted was to have to pick sides. To have to choose a favorite, who to listen to, who deserved their time and attention.

The thing was, both did. Regardless of what had happened and who had been with them the longest. And she wanted them close again, as although she had been more than ok soothing and holding Edelgard through the night, she had wondered what it would be like to have both Ingrid and Byleth with them as well.

How complete that picture had seemed in her mind’s eye. How peaceful and balanced, how… right, in a way.

How the real world was proving to be against that mental image, with two out of her three girls playing polar opposites that weren’t seeing eye to eye.

“I-I’m fine,” Byleth answered, glad for the physical contact and for the fact that she hadn’t been shunned by either Ingrid or Dorothea too. It was bad enough that Edelgard was pretending she wasn’t there - or even worse, that she was probably the scum of the Earth - but she wouldn’t bear it if those two were to do the same. 

“Yeah, and Ingrid is going to get a degree in Religious Studies with a second one in Math later on,” Thea rolled her eyes not in annoyance, the small smile on her lips indicating that she knew that wasn’t true. They both chuckled when the blonde protested against that sentence. “I wanna talk to you later, dear. So you can tell me what’s really going on with you. What happened, if you feel like saying something about it. Anything, really. I care about you, Byleth.”

“Y-yeah, that’d be nice,” Byleth stammered, taken aback by the kindness and intensity in Dorothea’s entire demeanor. Especially since she had spent the whole night getting ready to never be allowed to be near them again after what she had done yesterday. 

Her heart lurched in hope because of that sentence, as somehow it meant Edelgard hadn’t said anything to the girls, right? I mean, would they even be there if something had been mentioned? There would be no way to tell until - and if - Thea actually talked to her. She hoped it would be soon, as the anticipation over it was killing her, way more than usual examination week stress normally did.

The moment professor Hanneman asked her to move so he could get into the room, Byleth apologized, mumbled her good morning and automatically went to her seat without a glance behind her. Whereas that made Edelgard turn away from her, scrunching up her nose and trying to mask the sadness that was so clearly still in her lilac irises, both Ingrid and Dorothea touched her, caressing her the slightest before wishing her a good test.

“Good luck, Ingrid, Dorothea,” El uttered from the table behind Byleth, already gathering the stuff they were supposed to keep over the table and putting away books, notebooks and bags. Her mind, while not completely ok with the fact that they had an exam to face after such an awful day yesterday, would certainly be more at ease solving equations than trying to determine what she would do next.

How she was supposed to feel, seeing those two girls still fawning over Byleth despite all that had occurred. Granted, she hadn’t expected things to get any easier - nor had she wanted them to leave their lifelong friend for her. She was the one having troubles with the other girl, not them, and it would be selfish of her to wish things were different.

Her mind wandered even before the paper was placed in front of her, before Ingrid squeezed her arm in reassurance and Dorothea did the same to her knee. 

Before a soft, barely audible whisper of “good luck, Edelgard,” came from Byleth as well, one that made Dorothea caress Byleth's hand as Hanneman shot them a dubious glance.

Yikes. So much for two girls solacing and helping each other in such trying times.

Soon the room was shrouded in silence, with each student focusing on the questions in front of them as best as they could. For some that was easy, the hours and days of preparation beforehand paying off to the point that they even wondered why they had fretted so much over polynomials before. For others, it was as if they hadn’t studied at all (though a few of them actually hadn’t) and each equation, each second spent trying to find an answer for something they were sure they would never again use in their existences, felt like a waste of life itself.

Then there was Edelgard, whose brain went back to the way Byleth had humiliated her in every possible form the day before. Words repeated themselves in her mind, a choir that blocked each and every other thought, made her doubt how numbers worked and the very steps she had personally told Ingrid to follow so many times in the past two weeks. 

Beside her, the blonde was too wrapped up in her new ideas, in other questions that had been raised the night before. The ones that Rowan had promised to answer her once they were more awake and they were back from school as well. As discreetly as she could she glanced at Dorothea, Byleth and Edelgard while wondering if she should even try speaking about such matters one day in the long future - a future in which, at least she hoped, there were no more tensions between them. She yawned and rubbed her eyes one too many times, twirling her pen, pencil or eraser between her fingers while willing all the things she had learned with the girls to be put to use and save her life.

Byleth hesitated, her usual, natural gift with numbers failing her the second she recalled all that had happened the day before, from her fallout with Edelgard to the afternoon and evening that had followed suit. She wished things would improve for that day, but given her state of mind she had a feeling she would have a repetition from the last one; the mental haze was already there to begin with. What was worse, at several points she had to return and redo those equations, as she started making some of the same mistakes she had seen Edelgard committing whenever she was called to show her resolution on the board.

Dorothea worried, worried more than one could say she was doing if they were to glance at her, as they'd find her posture relaxed, body turned towards the text and her pencil flying through it. She would be lying if she said she was sure of all the answers and hadn’t found the exam difficult, though that was the image she was passing right there and then. The thing was, her hands just needed something to keep occupied while her mind remained far afield, trying to navigate that new reality that would be their schooldays for then on.

She knew she would greatly upset Edie if she were to hang with Byleth as usual, that it would make the smaller girl think their afternoon and night together had been nothing but a lie, maybe something that Thea had done out of duty instead of actual care for her. However, there was no reason for her to abandon Byleth as well, for as far as she understood it - which was tough since no one was actually talking but oh well - it had all been a grand misunderstanding. If that was true, well, then would it be fair for any of them to pull away from one or the other?

They couldn’t force a solution either, but staying on that kind of stalemate, a fake and volatile type of peace, would lead them nowhere either. 

It really wasn’t a good time to be Dorothea Arnault, polyamorous girl that had fallen in love with those beautiful souls around her. Only for two of them to start a ruckus the moment she had noticed it was the case, that her feelings went beyond mere friendship.

She barely noticed when the bell rang, was only brought back into the cruel reality when Hanneman took the paper out of her grasp and gave her an inquisitive stare the second he saw that she had been working not on a last-minute question, but on a doodle. Something about four hearts close together, two of them painted up in black.

Dorothea could only hope that meant her mind had answered all the equations before that could happen, or else she would have another, very different problem coming. Unable to stop herself after thinking about them during the entire test, she turned around and looked at the girls around her.

The defeated look on their expressions was all she needed to know that she hadn’t been the only one. As a result, she thought it better to not ask anything about the test and was grateful when their next professor came right away, giving them no time to discuss anything at all. 

So it was for the rest of the day, lectures and revisions dragging on since only on Wednesday they would start having more than one exam in the same day. Usually that would have meant the students were free to use that time in order to rest, get most of their questions answered by the teachers and study just a little, doing a final brush up before the bulk of the exams actually arrived. 

However, it had the opposite effect on the four girls, who found themselves getting more antsy and restless, their minds free to wander since they weren’t being forced to focus on anything academic at that time. Yet they stayed silent, gazes shying away from each other and the smallest words possible being traded between them, pretending to pay attention to the review sheets and mock tests in front of them even though they thoughts were always elsewhere. 

It was when the bell for break rang that the real problem began. Dorothea had been dreading that moment ever since she saw the tension, the pain and hurt between Byleth and Edelgard, the way they had seemingly closed off all types of communication on that point. As much as she wanted for the four of them to remain together so there would be no void between them, she knew that forcing such a scenario would only make matters worse. Given how little the two had spoken about the issue, it was unlikely they would do so while everyone was together.

Someone else had beat her up to an answer, it seemed. While her brain was going around it, fumbling with things she could say or maybe excuses she could give, Edelgard rose to her feet and left the room after giving the three remaining girls a forlorn, distant smile.

“Oh no,” Ingrid mumbled while watching her go, hand reaching forward in a futile attempt to grab El even though she pretty much dashed - while wobbling - to the door. “No, not like this.”

“Ugh, this won’t solve anything,” Dorothea complained, grimacing, the memory of that last, sad smile ingrained in her mind. Of course Edie would walk away by her lonesome self once she realized there would be a problem if she were to stay.

Of course she would think that, by being the newest addition to the group, she was no longer welcome, expendable or whatever else she had been led to believe by some misunderstood words.

“It’s all my fault,” Byleth whispered, looking down at the dirty classroom floor and sighing. “You should go after her instead of staying here with me.”

Ingrid leaned over, placed her hand over Byleth’s arm. “It’s no one’s fault as far as we know. So please don’t hurt yourself by saying those things.”

“We’ve been with you enough to know you’d never hurt anyone, much less someone like her on purpose,” Dorothea noded, squeezing Byleth’s hand with her own. “She needs time to come around and realize you never meant any harm by that - and by all the things you’ve done before. Unless… did you mean to hurt her for some reason?”

The answer was so clear and easy, she didn’t need even a second to voice it. “Never. But I’m doing something wrong,” her voice warbled a little, as if she were suppressing tears. Seeing again such an intense emotional reaction from her awed both Ingrid and Dorothea at once. “Every time I try, she just… hates me more.”

“That’s totally on her though, not on you,” Dorothea mumbled, her own heart panging since that seemed a little too familiar to something else she had been through. Something involving a certain awful someone that had called her names the year before. “And that’s not something you can change or make her change with the snap of a finger. It says more about who she is than about you, By.”

“Yeah,” Ingrid beamed encouragingly, chuckling when that was received with a surprised expression. “If you don’t trust your mind on it right now, at least trust us. You’re better than you probably think you are. Even when it comes to Edelgard.”

That Byleth seemed to consider it was already an improvement from the moping, tearful girl who had been too keen to judge herself because of those mistakes. She gave them both a grateful smile, then wondered about what to do about the one who had escaped from them.

* * *

They didn’t see Edelgard until after PE was done with. In the end she spent break on her own, hoping against hope that one of them would go after her some time or another. When none of the girls had materialized at the courtyard they were at the day before, she was convinced Byleth had told them all sorts of awful things about her. That no one else would come and, as a result, she would go back to being alone just as things had been back in Enbarr.

But then that was the way things were supposed to go when it came to her having friends, right? There was something about Edelgard that either repelled people or drove them towards her for a while, for as long as it took for them to get what they wanted from her. Afterwards, she would be discarded with an excuse or another, a fallout just like the one she had had with Byleth, accusations being thrown into the air as well. 

It was a very beautiful day, almost a contrast to the one they had had yesterday, the blue sky looming over her and a few younger kids who were playing ball again as if there was nothing in the world that could scare or harm them. How she wished that was a feeling she could share with them, instead of the doom and gloom that seemed to surround her in that moment. The one that took hold of her heart whenever she turned towards the building and saw there was no one there.

That no one from the class was there for her, much less one of the three girls she had been expecting to come for her at some point or another. It had been stupid to dream on it, to think about such an outcome becoming true after all that had happened. 

Time passed, children running all over the place until their teachers called for them and told them to make a line before going away. People moved towards their next classes, sometimes sparing a glance or another to the lonely girl perched on the bench by the mountainside, her gaze distant and lost for what felt like too long.

As much as one could have faith and hold on to it, there was always a moment when even hope did die. The second it did Edelgard sighed, let a tear run down her cheeks and furiously wiped it away. Her thoughts laughed at her, at how foolish she has been through all of break and how (or why) she had let herself get taken by the illusion that someone, anyone, even cared about her after all.

She rose from her spot with more tears in her eyes, yet did her best to keep them from spilling. Edelgard focused on the path in front of her so she wouldn’t trip, until she was back inside the building and, soon enough, she found the nurse’s office again. It was there, in the moment that Mercedes put her eyes on the smaller girl, that she ended up collapsing and sobbing due to the thought that she was just that awful. So unlovable, or flawed, that no one would want to spend time with her.

Mercedes walked to El and hugged her, caressing her arms rhythmically while mumbling nonsensical things or small facts about the school, how it was founded based on old manuscripts regarding the monastery that had once been there. How the entire city had always decorated itself based on such legends, with colors that had been seen around those parts as well such as the yellows, reds and blues that adorned the place. Knowing the girl was interested in stuff like that because of their previous talks helped and she went on, until sobs turned into silent weeping.

“It’s a good thing you came, I wanted to look at those bandages too,” the nurse said once she had coaxed the girl into the exam table and some of her tears had subsided. She got the first aid kit and reassuringly smiled. “You’ve become my favorite patient, you know.”

“I- I’m the only one who's uncoordinated enough to come here so often,” Edelgard dismissed the compliment, mentally cursing herself for being back to that room. The same one that had seen and heard Byleth say so many awful things about her the day before. She counted her lucky stars, as few as those were, that the nurse hadn’t been there when that had happened.

“Nah, sometimes it can get pretty crazy in here, believe it or not,” Mercedes hummed to herself as she changed one of the biggest bandages on her calf. “Those are healing good, though I’d tell you to not be on PE for a little while. dear.”

“Actually that is why… Can I stay here through next period, please? Just for today. I - I can’t bear the thought of facing the class again after yesterday. Or the teacher.” More tears fell from her eyes and she hid her face behind both hands; she was probably looking awful since Mercedes gave her another hug.

“Sure, dear. You can take a nap if you want, I’ll wake you up in time for the next class. Sometimes sleeping helps us go through matters of the heart too.” Her beam was genuine - just in time for them to hear the bell for the end of break. 

So it was that Mercedes made sure Edelgard was healing nicely from those gashes, then let her have some sleep and cry in peace if that was what she needed too. Though she did take a nap, the girl was already awake when next class was announced, meaning she only jumped to her feet, cleared her eyes and face, then thanked the nurse with a small beam before going back to class - and another hellish period with those girls that had once been her friends.

She arrived before anyone else and revelled in the quiet and calm, the lull of a classroom without a teacher or other students. Edelgard wished the day was over, that she could go home, wash the uniform that had been lent to her, give it back to Dorothea as soon as possible and make sure she wasn’t indebted to them in any other way. Yet reality wasn’t being nice for these last few days - she could feel their eyes on her when they paraded into the classroom with the rest of the students and took their seats around her. 

No words were said, their silence as hurtful as the accusations Byleth had hurled at her the day before. Given time and a few revision sheets, even their gazes were no longer on El; although for a second that felt good, as if she could breathe again, the next it was sheer agony to see everything she had feared coming to life after all.

Edelgard was no one when compared to Byleth. Byleth and her amazingness, her flawlessness and incredible abilities. The same girl that had been with them for a lot longer, who knew them better and could totally swerve them to her side with mere words.

If she had resigned herself to the fact that all of those things would happen, why did it still hurt to see them coming true? Had she really been stupid enough to hope they would not? To think that for once someone actually cared enough about her to ask, to really want to be by her side after something like that? She should have known Dorothea had been that kind because she felt only pity for her; that their night together had been nothing more than that, an act of gentleness before everything fell back on track and she was left on her own.

It had been a goodbye, and she had even been foolish enough to read more into it and kiss Dorothea on the cheek, then to wonder about what she would do if someone told her to choose between Dorothea and Ingrid. What had she been thinking when that idea came to mind? Why had she even considered something like that would occur and that she wouldn’t be cast aside after her duties as a tutor were done with?

Lectures started running into each other, becoming one long stream of meaningless words as Edelgard’s thoughts continued to wander, her heart heavy and revolting against the fact that she had been gullible like that again, stupidly trusting that those girls would be different from the ones in Enbarr. People were people no matter where they came from - and she was still the same Edelgard that had been in Adrestia before too. If they hadn’t liked her there, they surely wouldn’t do it here.

The moment the final bell before lunch rang, Edelgard was woken from her reverie and looked around to see kids getting to their feet, more than happy to run out of the room in order to get some food while studying or resting Seeing the way others moved as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening hurt her more than she wanted to admit, for she, too, wanted things to be normal again. It got to the point that she considered if it wouldn't be better to confront the other girls instead of letting that issue linger for any longer.

With that in mind, Edelgard turned around in order to face them and was surprised to see three faces glancing up at her and gently beaming as well. She had expected to see them involved in their own problems and dynamics, or mad at her as they had been before. 

The second she made to get up, a gentle hand took hold of her wrist and kept her there. Her taken aback, unsure eyes met Ingrid's soft, emerald ones that were wordlessly asking her to stay. 

She didn't know what really did it, the pleading in those irises or the smile that dazzled her given how beautiful it was. Nevertheless, Edelgard slumped back on her seat and waited, grew restless when Dorothea and finally Byleth looked at her as well. 

"Please, don't run again," Ingrid said, her thumb running nonsensical patterns over the large shirt. "We missed you."

"We really did, sweetheart, don't look so surprised," Dorothea added, one hand on Edelgard's and the other jumping to Byleth's forearm the moment she made to get up. "Oh no, not you too."

"I uh, I've forgotten my lunch at home. Gotta grab something outside before the restaurants get too crowded," Byleth gently pried herself free and picked up her wallet, rushing to the door. There, she turned around with a tentative motion and uttered, loud enough that it would be heard: "I'm sorry, Edelgard. I didn't mean to hurt you at all."

“Oh?” Edelgard said before she could realize which words were leaving her lips. “So you didn’t mean to undermine me, to let me know how superior you are?” It was just too much. That entire day so far and the one before it had been too much. If Ingrid hadn’t been holding her wrist, she would have stood up and faced the much taller girl - not that it would have made any difference either way. “You don’t think I’m stupid, uncapable or the likes?”

Byleth winced not as much due to the provocation, but the sheer anger that she could feel behind each and every word. Had she really said those things? “N-no, of course not. It was uh… quite the opposite real- “

“The opposite?! Truly, if that was meant to be flattery, then you seriously need to work on your communication skills because -”

“Hey, that’s enough,” Ingrid spoke louder than the angry Edelgard beside her, her voice taking a commanding quality that was new, surprising the other three around her. “You’re hurt, we know it. But so is she and saying stuff like that won’t help either of you.”

That was enough to make Edelgard stop, think about what she had been about to say next and glance down, her cheeks burning once she realized the blonde was right. That she had been three seconds away to essentially doing the same thing she was accusing Byleth of doing one day ago. “Apologies,” she mumbled.

“That’s not loud enough for her to hear you, Edie,” Dorothea prompted, eyes traveling between each of them - it wasn’t lost on her that Byleth seemed to be on the verge of tears too. 

Which completely made sense based on what she had said during break, on how she was feeling awful and as if she should have stayed quiet in order to do everyone a favor. To hear that from El herself now was probably only making her believe she had been right before Ingrid and Dorothea had done their best to convince her otherwise.

“Apologies, that was… unbecoming of me,” El said a little louder, gaze fixed on the class president’s shoes instead of her face.

“It’s ok. I’m… sorry too.”

With that Byleth left, scruffing her shoes on the way out of the school, wishing she could have a magical solution to that issue just like some of her favorite cartoon characters sometimes did.

Back in the classroom, Dorothea looked at Edelgard until she reciprocated the gesture, with Ingrid still caressing her pulse. Although she knew what had to be said, or some of the things that should be addressed, she wasn’t completely sure where to start.

Apparently Ingrid had some ideas of her own, though. “I never got to ask earlier, but how are you feeling?”

Her tone was soft and gentle, a far cry from the commanding one that had been there a minute ago. It made El relax as she let go of a breath she hadn’t known she had been holding. “I’m fine.”

“Doesn’t look like it,” Thea leaned in and held her other hand, caressing it as well. “And that’s totally ok, no one wants you to be well after one day either. But snapping at her won’t solve anything.”

“What is there to be solved?” Edelgard exploded, her body tensing anew, too fast to their liking. “She hates me. She has hated me from moment one and yesterday was just the apex of it. I’m a lowly nobody next to Miss Byleth Eisner.”

If the situation had been less serious, both Ingrid and Dorothea would have started laughing at that moment. 

“Huh,” the blonde uttered, too shocked to say anything else.

“Funny, where have I heard something similar just today…” Thea mused, shaking her head. That might be a little tougher than she had thought at first. “One, you’re not a lowly nobody. Don’t think that -”

“Then why did you leave me- Never mind,” El stopped the sentence before it could sound like whining, though she knew it had already been too late. Especially since that made both girls sigh and look at her with concerned eyes. 

“Listen to me, Edie. We’re not those awful people back in Enbarr who just wanted something from you, ok?” Dorothea said, eyes locked with downcast lilac ones. “You’re welcome here and with us, more than you might think.” 

“Yeah, for real.” The fact that both Ingrid and Thea punctuated that by planting kisses on the back of her hand made her thoughts about the entire matter falter, her cheeks getting slightly blushed as well. “And I know we shouldn’t be the ones to say this, as it’s between the two of you, but the same is true for Byleth.”

Since she saw El starting to shake her head, Dorothea pressed on. “Dear, if she didn’t care at all do you think she would be looking like that all day long? Did your bullies ever regret saying or doing what they did to you? Did they apologize?”

It was an easy answer, but Edelgard took her time responding as she thought back to every moment between the two of them, from the second she had stepped foot into the class. Byleth had corrected her in an almost patronizing form, the same that she had used to offer her food, sweets and to bandage her wounds (which had only multiplied as weeks went by). That, and the fact that she had always seemed so flawless, had irked El from the beginning. 

But their reasoning was also very solid, all things considered. Nobody had ever apologized to her, not even when the principal had tried forcing them into doing so. They’d rather take the suspension than saying one good word to Edelgard - and she had watched it happen more than once too. 

“No, they never did,” she conceded, still not convinced, though at the very least intrigued.

The other two saw the change in her expression and demeanor, nodded to themselves. That was as far as they had decided to go anyway. 

“We can’t and won’t tell you what to do, Edie, but please do think this through,” Dorothea gently coaxed, rubbing her thumb over the girl’s knuckles. There was a pause before she went on. “One more thing before we go to lunch, someone had a good idea to help you about PE.”

The mere mention of it made her cringe, especially when she recalled the exam fiasco and how she was still too hurt because of it. “Help me… how, exactly? Did coach Ladislava say something?”

Ingrid and Thea exchanged a glance and decided to leave the worst part out of it. Things were already too tense as they were without that little extra. “Uh, only that your test will be one month from now and won’t include the next subject we’ll cover so yeah, it’ll be conditioning and handball.”

“Dare I ask what’s the next thing that hellsih class will torture us with?” Edelgard’s tone was angry, but it would be better if she got to hear it from them than to find out soon after one exam or another too. 

“... basic gymnastics.” Dorothea grimaced when Edelgard hid her face between both hands and sighed, feet moving impatiently underneath the desk. 

“This will be the death of me,” she mumbled between her fingers, mind already coming up with the worst possible ways in which she would fall and get even more hurt. “I can’t miss all the classes until that exam arrives, can I?”

“Heh, you can’t,” Ingrid moved closer and tentatively petted her hair, occasionally glancing at Dorothea to gauge her reaction as well - then relaxing when it was received with a smile from both girls. “But that’s when our idea comes in. You helped me a lot and I’m really, really thankful for all of your patience teaching me stuff you can do with your eyes closed and hands tied behind your back.”

That had the desired effect of making Edelgard stop covering her face and shyly beam at both of them. “That was literally nothing, what with your father -”

“No, it… it does mean a lot to me,” the blonde continued, dropped the hand from her hair and opened it in front of Edelgard, a silent offering. “So let us help you with it too. We can coach you after class, help with uh, stuff that might be important for you to do better in matches, like balance and strength.”

“Yeah and we can make it fun too, so no running around a ball for no reason as you always say,” Dorothea winked, also opening her hand palm up. “Then as the month goes by we add other things like scoring and defending, the likes. What do you say? We can even start today if you’re good.”

A part of Edie’s mind was keen on criticizing the entire thing, to ask if they thought her incapable of doing things by herself. But then, she had helped Ingrid and Dorothea, hadn’t she? And she thought they were amazing people, not lacking just for the mere fact they had some difficulty in a subject or the other. 

Couldn’t the same principle apply to her own self?

Her thoughts were still protesting even when she put each of her hands in their open, waiting ones, then squeezed them in gratitude, finding herself foolish for thinking so little of them earlier on. Things weren’t so black and white like that, were they?

“Maybe uh… maybe not today since the nurse told me to wait for a while but yes, I - I would really like it. But only if this wouldn’t interfere with your own routines or anything, I don’t want to be a bur- “

“Shush, we’ve talked about it yesterday, haven’t we?” Dorothea surprised her by placing a peck on her forehead, effectively silencing her. “And we’ll be fine, I have some vacations to take from the coffee shop and all.”

“Yeah, and everything’s better than staying in that awful house doing homework, then cleaning after my parents,” Ingrid rolled her eyes at the thought, but also pecked Edelgard’s forehead after blushing and overthinking if that would be ok. “We got you.”

For the first time in that day she genuinely smiled, closing her eyes due to all the warm, fuzzy feelings inside of her. It was a nice contrast when compared to how she was during break, when her mind had been hazy, foggy and overcast. Now, there were blue skies and sunshine, the promises of a better tomorrow - and a lot of thinking for her to do as well, but one step at a time. 

“I- thank you so much,” she stammered, wondering how they had all come to mean so much to her in such a little while. It was tough to believe that they had only known each other for a month and something, as so much had already happened in that time. “And I’m sorry for anything, really. I will think about… all that you have said as well.”

“That’s good and makes me happy to hear,” Dorothea beamed, then broke their contact in order to grab her bag. “Now, what do you pretty girls say about us getting some lunch? I’m starving.”

“Huge same,” Ingrid nodded, turning to pick her stuff as well.

“It does sound lovely, yes,” Edelgard agreed, then took the bowl Manuela had packed for her before they left Dorothea’s home. That gesture alone - and the fact that there was an extra container with some chocolate pie on it - was enough to make her smile again.

And to give her enough courage to, before they could leave the classroom, place a kiss on each of their cheeks, then giggle at their surprised expressions and the lightest blushes they now had on their cheeks.

* * *

Byleth was sure her day would improve after Dorothea scribbled a note to her during class. One that said they had made all the progress they could on the Edie business, but now it was up to them to remedy things and start talking like the “amazing, beautiful human beings you are ;)” wink included. 

Sure, she had breathed a little more at ease with that report and getting to know that her idea had been accepted, that they would be helping Edelgard in PE the same way the girl had aided them with other subjects. And that she was invited to join them at any point in time, with the suggestion that maybe a direct action like that would be helpful for both of them, would open up the possibilities of a conversation.

Yet she had some reservations about that last point and kept them to herself, not wanting to sour the mood or anything. In any case, once lectures were over she accompanied the three girls to the empty court in silence, standing closer to Ingrid than to Edelgard just to make sure her mere presence wouldn’t make everything tougher than it needed to be.

Things were definitely looking up, but they were far from being completely normal - though she judged it an improvement that Edelgard neither said anything nor sent her a scathing glance when the four of them were walking together.

In the end the two had convinced Edelgard that the exercises they would be doing weren’t harmful, that she wasn’t about to injure herself as she did in PE since they would be going for simpler, smaller steps. That was how they got to start with their own antics on that day, but Byleth herself had thought it best to stay out of that just for a little while. The last thing she wanted was for the smaller girl to think she was judging her or something of the likes.

Also, after a day without being able to play games, take a nap, watch cartoons in peace and even eat her favorite things, she was looking forward to the opportunity to do so in that afternoon, to relax and let herself be. 

Yet Byleth had walked home in a daze, still pondering over that entire mess, how she had caused it - no matter what was said, she kept blaming herself for most of it - and what she could do to make it all better. Those thoughts didn’t stop when she picked up some ice cream from the freezer and lay down in front of the huge TV in her living room, then fumbled with the remote while looking for a good cartoon.

Once more she had cycled through all the channels in the catalog and more shows than she even thought were on TV to begin with as time passed, the ice cream melted and she kept mulling over everything without getting to a concrete answer on how to act. Fókken was also completely forgotten, as her mind was far afield and trying to play would just make her even more disappointed in herself. 

Those little reassurances that things would change, that they were already changing, hadn’t been enough for Byleth. Again there was her need to do something, but she understood that acting would derail, meddle and perhaps make everything worse. That she had to be patient and the likes, but in a situation like that there was no being patient.

She was startled out of her thoughts when Beleth showed up, her eyes lifting from the floor and to him with a silent question, one that he caught but didn’t elaborate on. He had noticed something was up with his sister, but didn’t know what was the best way to approach it - and if there was such a thing as a best approach to begin with. As she noticed that it was already dark and it was by mere luck that the uneaten ice cream beside her hadn’t overflown and made a mess on the plush carpet that she so much adored, he announced that he was going to make some dinner and she was welcome to help if she thought it would make her feel better.

The fact that her retort to that was too low and only a muffled jumble of words only confirmed his theory as well, though she only showed up at the kitchen to clean the ice cream bowl and sit down for dinner a few minutes later.

Beleth had made her favorite in hopes it would cheer her up, grilled fish with some rice as a side dish (the fish always took center stage on her plate anyways). His hopes for it dwindled when he saw her nitpick at the food, barely eating any and just staring at the bit of the night sky that was visible through the window.

That was too much for him, as his own chest was too constricted and he, too, didn’t know what to do about some recent changes in his life, in himself. 

“Ok then, what’s going on with you?” He asked, then winced as he realized that had been a bit too harsh. “I mean, you’ve let ice cream go to waste and aren't having any of the fish either. For two days in a row.”

The girl sighed and shook her head, glancing at some point on the wall in front of her instead of at her twin, to her right. “Nothing. What’s up with you, though?” Two could play that game and she knew Beleth enough to understand he was already at a point that he would tell if asked. The way his feet kept tapping on the floor and he fidgeted with the cutlery were enough telltale signs. “You’ve been weirder than usual for a week or more.”

“No, I haven’t,” he hedged, eyes widening in surprise. Had it been that long already? “We aren’t talking about me.” 

“Yes we are,” Byleth digressed, placing some fish into her fork and laying it down a second later. “So what’s going on with you?”

“Stop that, Byleth. I’m worried about you.” His tone changed, went from confrontational to gentle in a way that she hadn’t heard him do in a while. After he had gone to college and taken over the company, he was either silent since he was too stressed out, or mildly irritated when having to deal with her. “I’d like to help to.”

“You first,” she insisted, though her throat was clogged and she wanted to talk as well. Were they both that bad at speaking? “You’ve been weird for longer.”

He huffed and had half a mind to disagree, but in the end looked down in defeat and realized it would be no good if he couldn’t trust his own twin with something like that. It wasn’t as if he had any other person to speak to, at least not about that. “I… There is someone…” he sighed, shaking his head. Even like that, with both of them somewhat downcast, it was tough to say the words, to make everything more real. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can.” She reached forward, covering his hand with her own. He wasn’t one for physical contact most of the time, but in that moment it was accepted and necessary, even. “I’ll never judge you or laugh on your face either. Behind your back, probably. But only when I’m sure you can’t hear me.”

He snickered at that, felt a bit of his odd mood dissolve given how careful his twin was, how she had always been. Underneath the cold, detached gamer persona there was someone who truly cared about helping others feel better. Just knowing that was enough to help him begin again. “There is… a new guy in college. He just transferred around a month ago.”

“Ok, should I kill him because he’s a prick or should I send him flowers in your name?” Byleth prodded, knowing he would never tell the full story without some help. Especially if it was the latter rather than the former.

She was sure she was on the right track when he took a few more seconds to answer that as well. “I- I don’t know, truly.” His face fell, a hand on his forehead as if to support it. “He, he seems to be really nice. He’s very polite and speaks well, is smart, handsome, kind and gentle. Apparently his family is big in the game industry, some Hells-valgue Hresvulg, Hraesvalg or another -”

“Hresvelg?!” Byleth exclaimed, unable to keep her shock at it. The description matched, as Edelgard was pretty much the same, and she had mentioned having at least two out of her myriad siblings in college too. She had never thought they would be in the same course or class that her brother was in. Since her response had startled him as well, she took a deep breath and tried calming herself down. “Uh… why aren’t you sure though? Or what aren’t you sure about?”

“This guy - Edmund - he’s… too good.” His eyes spelled the rest of the sentence, given how forlorn they were. “And I think I might have scared him by trying to be -”

“Too helpful?” Byleth completed.  _ Now what cartoon I’ve recently watched with that story again,  _ she thought, wanting to hit her own head instead of his for this once. Was it really a Eisner-Hresvelg thing? “And he dismissed you, called you names and the likes? Especially after you tried making sure she - I mean, he - understood how much he meant to you?”

Too late, she realized what she had done. Especially when her brother first widened his eyes, then scrutinized her with interest instead of shock. “Byleth, what the hell is going on here? Also no, that’s not what happened.”

This time she actually did hit her head for being so careless, then turned to him with a pleading glance. “You first, or else we’ll confuse each other even more and those Hresvelgs will be the death of us.”

Although he didn’t really understand where that had come from, he pressed on if only to get to the end of that mystery. “Eddie is very talented, smart and kind. So of course he attracted attention the moment he arrived in the class, but he seemed to ignore everyone else. Except from Jeritza, the guy who transferred a bit earlier?”

Byleth nodded; she did remember Beleth mentioning that man more than once, usually with admiration at how good he was at calculus and his broader view of economy as a whole. She hoped things weren’t going in the direction she thought they were.

“It was tough at first but… ugh, to this day I don’t know what to do about it all. Eddie, Jeritza and I are… friends? But I feel like I barely have time for them and, what’s worse…”

“What’s worse…?” She was starting to become impatient, especially since she had expected him to say something on the likes of “so they’ve started dating and I’m all alone.”

He took so long to speak again Byleth gave herself a pat on the back for not threatening him with the knife on her hand. “I… Think I like them. Both of them.”

“Oh,” she mumbled, turning a bright hue of pink not because of him, but due to how… similar her thoughts had been before that great tragedy the day before. How… she had been trying her best not to think about it, about kissing Dorothea while holding Edelgard and Ingrid, then kissing the others as well.

Of course, after her stupid words she would count herself lucky if she even got a slap on her face from Edelgard, but still. 

Funny how, of course, there had to be a Hresvelg involved.

“Byleth, please say something.” Beleth’s voice broke, making her realize she had been staring into the distance for too long, that delicate matters like that needed an answer given how wrong people had been made to believe they were.

“Have you talked to them about it?” She asked, appealing to his more practical sense instead of addressing the emotions running through his face in quick succession. Those she could deal with later, with herself as an example even.

“N-no, I… I have been trying to understand if that would be acceptable to begin with. It’s- it’s not every day that you hear someone wanting to kiss -”

“Well I think that’s totally ok,” she interrupted, her own feet moving on their own volition underneath the table. It was her turn to be anxious, it seemed. “You just gotta talk to them and make sure everything is fine with everybody, that no boundaries are being crossed, the likes. Send a letter or two if you think you can’t say it out loud, or those flowers I offered before.”

He was silent again, but this time pondering not so much over those solutions, but on how quickly she had gotten to them. Or how unjudging she seemed, how no extra questions had been asked. Sure, Byleth was smart and a very nice person, but there was a limit to that, right? The way it had been handled made it look as if she, too, had been thinking about something similar. Or had been wondering-

“Who is it? Or rather, who are they?” Beleth inquired, chuckling to himself when the question took her by surprise.

“Who are what?” She let go of that farse when he rolled his eyes at her, well-aware of what they were both talking. It was her turn to remain in silence, to ponder over how crazy it would be to talk about what had been on her mind for a while now. “Dorothea, Ingrid and Edelgard. Edelgard von Hresvelg, by the way. Edmund is one of her siblings.”

He huffed at the coincidence, recalling how they had talked briefly about the new girl. There had always been something in his sister’s eyes when she was mentioned, though this time it seemed to be even worse. Some pain, some sorrow as well. “And?”

“And… I think I made her hate me forever,” Byleth admitted, realizing how dramatic she had made it sound when he frowned at her. “She’s a gamer like me, but she also hides this from others though I have no idea why. She was at the tourney and all, did amazing and only lost to me.” She sighed, recalling everything about those last few days. How nice their matches always were even when the Flame Emperor had been back in Enbarr. “I… brought that up after she had a bad day and well, she took it the wrong way. I made her cry.” The statement was so powerful she almost cried right there, again. “I made one of the girls I like cry.”

He allowed her some seconds, some time and space to better deal with everything that had been on her mind for the last few days. That, and he was shocked at how shaken she seemed to be with the whole ordeal.

“I have no idea what to do, how to make things right. All it took was a few words and now…”

She had always been one to make light jokes about others, to try to have them laugh at the silly things she said. It was a game she played, one in which people would like her better if she were the funniest ever. Yet the same words had almost made the people she liked drift away, pick sides and for someone she had started to like go away too. 

It was all fun and games, of course. It was all fun and games until someone got hurt like that.

Beleth watched her crumble for a few seconds, then rose from his seat and enveloped her in a hug, unsure of what to do or say in a moment like that, when both of them were hesitant, with more questions than answers to their very similar predicaments.

That night wasn’t one for words, as they had done enough damage as it was for them. But that quiet embrace and the meal that followed was enough to give them some sense of grounding after such difficult days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok ok, things are going slowly but they will be solved soon! The girls are really getting there, give them some more time. It also felt fun to put Edelgard's brother with Beleth like that, hehe. The Hresvelgs are that powerful and charming :3
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading and hope you have a great weekend.


	10. Training Mode

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The week progresses with more exams, studying (especially for PE) and plans being set into motion so things can get better in the end.
> 
> Some conversations follow and an offer is made as well.

For the first time in Byleth’s life, the mere thought of going to school was being too much. It was enough to make her heart hurt and her mind feel a little foggy, to the point that she wondered if it was worth going after all. Not that she had a choice, what with examination week and the fact that she had been pretty much unable to play, study or do anything else in her spare time - and she would rather do something, focusing on all the equations she would more than likely never use once high school was over, than to keep pondering over everything else.

The dark mood that had taken her over on Monday was slowly going away as well, though all it took was for her to recall that conversation, the words she had uttered and the ones she had heard, for her eyes to sting. And even if that was also passing, it was still painful to remember Edelgard’s hurt expression, or how she now shied away from some touches, standing as far away from Byleth as possible whenever they walked together and merely glancing at her when she spoke.

That was expected and it was more than ok given what had happened. There was nothing she could do to rush things or force the dialogue she knew both needed, the one in which they would see eye to eye and say all they had to. But she hated that chasm that now stood between them, one that was worse than having the smaller girl shaking her head at her or showing displeasure in one way or another.

She hoped that the passing days would bring better news, alongside more chances for them to interact too.

Wednesday had flown by with the Physics test that many had been fearing, especially given professor Tomás's well-known tendency to find fault in everything the students did while correcting their papers. There had been several times in which Byleth was forced to do some research in order to find out if his corrections were accurate - more than once they hadn't been, which made the entire class huddle behind their president as she questioned him. After too many fallouts that had ended in him being proven wrong, she had won everybody three points on an exam that many, if not all, had failed. 

Some called Byleth the Physics Hero after that, a title that she had laughed off but had internally filled her with joy. As long as she could help people in some way or another she’d be happy to do so, feel a little satisfied with herself even.

Which was why her having to stand aside and watch as Edelgard slowly opened up to them again was so painful, so excruciating to her more active approach to things and matters.

There was nothing to do but wait and so she did, trying to pay more attention to last-minute revisions since gaming, watching things on TV and getting some snacks had failed to entertain her yet again on Wednesday afternoon. She went through her entire Chemistry, Biology and Geography workbooks, the extra sheet and exercises she found on the archaic, almost unused school online system given how much of a hassle it was to get to the coursework portion of the site.

Whenever she made the smallest mistake she would erase all she had written and start again from scratch - even if everything before that had been correct. If an equation, question or concept was too easy, she rewrote and redid it at least three times to make sure it was actually ok, that she was thinking about what was being asked instead of just going with her gut or whatever.

It was tiresome and intense in a way that she hadn’t needed to do to begin with. It completely distracted her, the way those things tended to since there were just one too many concepts they were being asked to memorize and know by heart, but it felt like they didn't have enough brain cells to do so. Unknown to her, some people that went by the names of Ingrid, Dorothea and Edelgard had also done the same thing with different degrees of success after arriving home from balance and strength training in the afternoon. 

Nevertheless, maybe due to the fact that they would have more and more tests the following days, there were few interactions between the four. They had exchanged nothing more than a nod and some words of encouragement before first class. Edelgard gave Dorothea her uniform back, neatly pressed and already dry, thanking her with a shy smile and a brush of their hands that made Ingrid and Byleth beam at that. 

Then professor Tomás had arrived with his long, imposing steps and something that looked like quiet delight dancing behind his eyes, already placing papers in front of the students in the first rows and shouting instructions. Those were the same as always, the well-known warnings against cheating, using calculators or mobiles, weird pens that weren't blue or black, plus looking too much to the sides, down, back or anywhere that wasn’t the test. 

Some bristled at his words, the contentment that was already visible in his face once the first students pretty much glanced at the questions and looked panicked at what they saw. The man hadn’t always been like that; apparently some recent troubles in his personal life were reflecting in his teaching methods, to the point that more than half the class had come after Byleth to ask for explanations on things they supposedly had covered in class, some outside material they could use or just a hug since they couldn’t deal with homework, much less extra studying.

Had she not been a little too emotional in the last few days, she would have been more than happy to hold one of her study group sessions after lessons, one that many students looked forward to when a subject or another was proving to be too hard. Right then, while Byleth scribbled down the equations she would more than likely get to use through the exam on the upper right corner of the paper, she winced and hoped she hadn’t let too many people down because of that.

Not that it really mattered at that point, as it wouldn’t change anything right then and there. Though given how tough the paper was, with everyone finishing it a few seconds before Tomás could yank it from their hands, maybe people would be needing her aid later on.

The frustration that could so clearly be seen in their faces only worsened when the Biology teacher came in, a relatively new one that was called Thales, and stopped at the door to gawk at them for a second before shaking his head and strolling in.

“Now don’t be so dramatic, it’s just a test,” he said while placing bags and a pile of papers on the teacher’s desk; since he wasn’t facing them, he missed the cross, hurt and indignant expressions that followed that sentence too.

"Easy for you to say when you're not the one taking it," Ingrid cursed under her breath, watched Edelgard nod along to it. The blonde hadn't had enough time to finish the last equation on the physics sheet and was pretty sure some of her first ones were also completely wrong.

She would certainly have a time if her father found out that not only she was failing math, but also physics - with a possibility for biology as well, depending on how that test went.

One look at the table in front of them and she could see how stiff Dorothea was, her shoulders climbing almost all the way to her ears and staying there. While Thea wasn't as bad in maths and general things involving numbers as Ingrid was, physics really wasn't her subject. She knew that Edelgard had personally coached her on Monday and a little more through messages on Tuesday, with Byleth stepping in once in a while too. 

Thea would probably be more than fine and was mostly stressing too much about it, but even so. Ingrid leaned forward a little and squeezed her shoulder, causing Dorothea to flinch before accepting that - and Edelgard's palm cupping her other side a moment later.

"I am sure it went better than you think," the smaller girl said, as she understood what Ingrid was doing. 

"Yeah and in any case, you did your best and that's what matters the most," the blonde complemented, beaming to herself when she saw Byleth place a hand over Dorothea's.

"Exactly, your value is not defined by a grade… or a score," Byleth mumbled the last few words, sending a quick sideways glance to Edelgard. The fact that it elicited a smile from the other girl, albeit a little one, made her heart lurch in a good way. A different, very warm way.

"O-oh no, I'm good, really," Dorothea uttered with a beam that failed to reach her eyes. One that made those hands that were supporting her caress her more instead of less. 

Although she had always been good at acting, at keeping her own struggles to herself and instead placing the focus on others, in that particular moment such skills failed her. That, or the girls beside her had learned to read her so well, there would be no escaping their careful, tender scrutiny. Which was why she let some sadness color her eyes, dark against the emerald that always shone so bright.

That sometimes shone too bright, in order to hide the sadness underneath.

"It's ok if you aren't, tests can be scary," Ingrid reassured her, trying to not just awkwardly tap her shoulder. Touching was tough, especially when the person she was trying to solace was Dorothea. Amazing, kind and lovely Dorothea. "Especially Tomás's, I'm pretty sure I just got another low grade to go with my math one."

There were mumbles of agreement at that, some small cursing while Thales started arranging papers in some sort of order. Everyone knew he had at least three different test formats so people wouldn't cheat, which all seemed like a lot of extra work since most students would rather give up school than do their exams in an ilícito way in Garreg Mach High - it was said that the principal made sure those who cheated were almost sent straight to hell during the rest of the year.

"And if your results weren't as good as you needed or thought they would be, we will be here to help," Edelgard added, glad to see Byleth emphatically nodding before turning away. "I know it's hard to do so right now, but try not thinking too much about physics when we have to face biology next. It will work out one way or another, ok?"

As those hands slid away from her, leaving behind a lingering warmth that was comforting and centering, she muttered a heartfelt "thank you" and closed her eyes for a brief while. The second she heard a piece of paper being put in front of her, she was done with some deep breathing that Manuela had taught her to engage in when stressed out. 

She took a minute longer before starting the exam, focused on the sounds of pens scribbling names and of sheets being turned, watching as her own thoughts stopped rolling around, huge waves that threatened to take her under. The last few days had been extremely exhausting in some way or the other, so adding the idea that she might have to take an extra test for physics definitely wasn't the most amazing news she could get.

But then, the one thing that could be worse than that was also having to take a biology one. With that in mind she finally turned to the first question and smiled, recalling all the times she had recited an answer to "what are the basic molecules that constitute a carbohydrate?"

This time the silence around them wasn't as ominous, as crushing or jittery as it had been the day or the test before. Slowly her shoulders unclenched and Dorothea fell into the comfortable pacing of answering multiple choice questions, underlining important passages of text or the alternatives that made her determine whether something was right or wrong.

After a while she went back to some questions she had circled before, trying to find an answer that the ones she wasn't completely sure about, doing her best not to fall into despair just as she had done while solving the physics exam.

Perhaps it would have gone on like that, as exams that one had studied for tended to, if it wasn't for a small, single interruption.

Sure, she had beamed while seeing the word there, then underlined it for the sake of underlining - not because it was relevant to the answer - and drawn a small yellow heart beside it. A little stupid, she knew.

But way better than saying "oh, the peptides are _poly_ and hold hands, that's so cute," like Ingrid did when she finally got to the protein section of the exam and saw a text about _poly_ peptides.

There was no way to ignore it, as the blonde had spoken loud enough for the professor to turn and look at her with a silent question in his eyes. Whereas Edelgard shot Ingrid a shocked glance that failed to hide the amusement and smile on her face, Byleth choked on air alone and Dorothea laughed so much, she was glad Thales didn't throw her out of the room.

"You said it out loud, Ingrid," Edelgard whispered once the professor raised an eyebrow at them and the students around them that were tittering. 

"I uh… wait, I did?!" Ingrid exclaimed, again a little louder than she should have.

"If you two want to solve the test as a pair, you can certainly go back to elementary school for that," Thales interrupted them, black eyes narrowed at them.

Both her and the blonde turned a bright tone of red and took a few seconds to ground their attention in… polypeptides again.

In the end, they were lucky the chemistry exam that took place next didn't touch on _poly_ mers, or the four were sure they wouldn't be able to keep their faces straight while solving the questions and equations placed in front of them.

At least when the bell rang to announce it was lunch time, they no longer had tests to fret about on that day and were free to fall over the table and sleep instead of eating. The week was almost over as well and soon enough, they hoped, there would be peace.

* * *

“This won’t work out at all.” 

Byleth knew she had been invited to help in that practice. That she could be there with them, laughing, giving some pointers and making sure Edelgard was doing things correctly as well - if there was something she could help with, given her years playing volleyball and coaching newbies, it was with that. However, she still didn’t feel like it was time. That her presence would be appreciated by the smaller girl, that it wouldn’t be received as nicely as Ingrid and Dorothea had said it would while messaging Byleth last night.

Thus she watched from afar, binoculars in her eyes, beside a quiet Bernadetta who was more than happy to do her sewing away from home and from classes, from classmates that would either pry, judge her or tell her to do something stupid for them. She still wasn’t over how Claude had asked her for a crochet version of himself just one year ago, when she was caught doing it during break.

“Why not?” Bernie inquired, somehow finding it easier to speak to her friend when her eyes were on the stitches she was doing instead of on other people’s eyes or the likes. It was nice to stay there, on the bench they had gotten for themselves on the almost empty courtyard as people walked to their extracurriculars and outside to go home, but even so.

“Because she’s hating it, frowning and more than likely thinking those exercises are useless. Or that she herself is no good at them,” Byleth answered, removing her binoculars for one second and shaking her head. 

“Is she, though? Any of those things? Like y-yeah, I’ve seen her in class,” Bernie added once Byleth turned questioning eyes on her. “But I don’t know, uh… she can’t really be that bad. Or worse than me.”

“One, you’re amazing in dodgeball and you know it. No one was able to hit you at all when we played it last term, to the point that the coach just sighed and declared you the winner anyways. More than once,” she smirked when her friend blushed, then lifted another finger for emphasys. “Two, I think she’s never done PE before coming to Garreg Mach. Something about her previous teachers always benching her once they realized how bad she was. Which is just stupid but oh well.”

“That makes sense, I guess,” she stopped, counted her stitches and removed one after cursing herself, cheeks still red from what Byleth had said. “It’s sad, but it got to a point that I think coach Ladislava would be better off just letting her do her own thing.”

Byleth’s response was to grunt in agreement, then place the binoculars to her eyes again and turn towards the sports court. They had been smart enough to grab a bench that wasn’t completely in front of it so that they wouldn’t be seen, but in a nice enough angle and distance that, to the three girls occupying it, they were just blurs in the distance. And Byleth was able to see everything clearly as well, thanks to the binoculars she had stolen from Beleth the day before.

Yes, that entire moment had been planned. Yes, it was paying off at least so far. Though no, Byleth wasn’t happy to be there just looking instead of being in the court helping the girl as well.

But that, she knew, would have to wait for a few more conversations, forgotten snacks that she had supplied with pastries the day before and an extra eraser she had lent Edelgard for the Physics exam too. A fish-shaped one that was her lucky eraser, sure, but who knew.

Maybe the fish would actually bring her some luck that time around.

“What are you working at today? It’s different from yesterday’s thingie,” Byleth queried, as Bernie had become almost a regular at her house since her parents were fighting nonstop.

Apparently the divorce was actually going to happen and her mother was pushing through with it. The thing was, all the uncertainty and the fact that his wife was finally speaking up after so many years, only made her father yell and rage, to the point that Bernie was overwhelmed on a daily basis. To the point that her house, which had always been unbearable to begin with, had transformed itself into an overwhelming gale of accusations, screams and yells that never relented.

Something that always threatened to swallow her whole and leave nothing behind. Thus she had started spending not only the night, but entire days at Byleth’s house, just as it had happened yesterday. While it was nice to have someone to study with, to play some video games - or actually, to coax Byleth into playing them because she still had no drive to go back to them - it was also interesting to see how much more talkative she had become. 

Maybe it was the strangeness of that situation, of having to watch herself all the time while around Edelgard. Maybe it was not having her friends to talk to, as her feelings for them had started changing in a way that she didn’t understand, didn’t think she would ever get to understand to begin with. Or maybe it was just Bernie, sweet Bernie that had always been there for her even though Byleth had also tried keeping up the flawless act with her. Uselessly, yes. Unnecessarily too. 

How easily the smaller girl had seen through her, during the night after their fight and the ones that followed.

“Oh it’s uh, nothing big. Just a little bear for mom,” Bernadetta answered, shrugging. “She’ll probably hate it because I can’t get those last stitches right no matter what I do but oh well.”

“Nah, I think it’ll be neat,” the taller girl encouraged with a sad beam, then hissed when she saw Edelgard stumble through the binoculars. “Oof, that must have hurt. Falling face first is never fun.”

“What are they doing anyways? I thought you said they hm, would focus on other stuff that would help her, not that it would end up with her getting harmed,” Bernie set down her small, developing plushie and waited, looking over it with sadness and frustration in her eyes. 

It wasn’t what she wanted, as always. It was the opposite of what she had envisioned once she set out to do something that would help her mom. The purple bear with grey eyes was supposed to be big, strong and kind, holding a small sword and a shield to symbolize their struggles against a guy who was better off alone. It couldn’t be small or too sweet, the way this one was already beginning to look. 

She had half a mind to destroy it, to call herself names and just give up doing that stupid thing. Yet one glance at Byleth, who had her mind set on her own spy work and the possibility of repairing a bond to someone she cared about, and she knew that breaking down wouldn’t be an option. That Byleth would be sad and hug her for too long if she did it. That if nothing, Bernie could draw some strength from her wait, from the sadness that had lingered on her friend’s blue eyes for too long already. 

“Well you see…” Byleth started, sheepish. “This really shouldn’t be that harmful to anyone. They’re like, making her close her eyes and stay on one foot for balance, or jump rope, do some sit ups, the likes. But if you want someone to show you how to mess up an exercise real bad, how you can be injured by the end of a gym session, you can count on Edelgard for that.”

Bernadetta didn’t know if she should laugh or express condolences, given how seriously the other girl had said that. Thus she opted to stay silent and simply nod, which Byleth took as a prod for her to go on.

“Like right now, they were just making her throw a ball between an arc that Dorothea was holding - quite low, might I add. And she uh… stumbled on her own two feet and fell because of it.” The girl sighed, shook her head. “Their heart is in the right place but Edelgard’s mind still isn’t.” 

“Oh I get it,” Bernie whispered, picking up the head of the bear she was working on and deciding to give the whole thing a few more tries just for the sake of having something to do while Byleth remained there. The last thing she wanted was to have to go home, tackle her homework or the last minute studying she wanted to do before history the next day. “She’s probably too worried about the test to actually focus. Or on what people will think or say about her because of everything that happened the last few classes. Not that she should, she’s amazing in other things and so on, but yeah that’s -”

“You’re amazing, yourself,” Byleth extended a hand and petted hers, a small and brief gesture to solace and not to scare. She had learned over the years how to do one and not the other in simple touches such as those. “Thank you, really. It’d have been awful if you hadn’t been here these last few days.”

“Nooooooo, you know you don’t need to lie to me or the likes,” Bernadetta blushed, hid her face between her hands and let the bear rest on the floor. She didn’t even mind if it got dirty- she would more than likely dispose of it by the end of the day anyways. Just as she had done with the project that Byleth had seen her begin the day before.

It was tough for her to go through with something until the end. Not because she lacked the motivation, no. It was just that few things she did actually got her seal of approval, with the rest being discarded before they could be finished. Time and again her friend had told her to keep trying only to see what the result would look like, only to get somewhere at all. 

That advice had yet to be followed to this day.

“Yeah I know. Which is why I’m telling you the truth.” Byleth looked away from the binoculars and beamed, winking the slightest to show her appreciation. “Your support is really important to me.”

Bernadetta was glad right then and there that her friend went back to spying on the court, for she had no response to those words and simply stared straight ahead, mouth agape, for a few heartbeats, willing her breathing to go back to normal and for her thoughts to stop rushing. It wasn't only that the praising was unexpected - just that she was waiting for the moment in which it would turn into insults, as her father had done time and time again when she was younger.

“Do you uh… do you know a better way in which they could help Edelgard then? Since this is not working at all,” she asked as soon as she felt herself more grounded, then breathed in relief when the other girl nodded.

“Yeah, it’s really simple but at the same time very complex too,” the girl said, sighing again when Edelgard looked too forlorn and just sat down on the floor, unwilling to throw the damn ball one more time. “I should’ve thought about that before too, but again it’s not as if Edelgard will accept my take on this.”

Byleth knew that there was a chance her proposition would be taken seriously, but only if she managed to get through the barriers the girl seemed to enact whenever the two got close, their eyes met by accident or the likes. It was true that Wednesday had already been better (though few things would make a day be as worse as Monday and Tuesday had been) and that Thursday had been a little ok thus far, with Edelgard no longer flinching when she stood next to her and actually sharing a small smile the moment Byleth gave her a pastry for a snack too.

Who would have thought that Byleth and Beleth getting together to discuss their love lives like that would help in some way, shape or form. In the end they had decided to take it slow and steady, to try communicating with everyone involved and make sure no one’s feelings were hurt - which was easier said than done in Byleth’s case, but that was part of the issue anyway.

The fact that they had a plan of action, if their conclusions could be called something like that, didn’t mean they weren’t confused, unsure of how things would go on and how, or when, they should actually start doing little things that would help convene their feelings too .

“Well, what is it then?” Bernadetta inquired once her friend didn’t say anything else, only kept looking at her binoculars with an expression that could only be described as longing.

Given the fact that Byleth had just seen Ingrid and Dorothea hugging, petting and pressing some kisses on Edelgard’s cheeks, she definitely had a reason to feel like that, to let those emotions run through her and be shown on her face. How she wanted to be there, to help and solace the smaller girl as well. 

Her voice was almost a whisper when she eventually put the binoculars down, turned towards her friend and explained what she had thought about. What she hoped would be the thing that could really help Edelgard, while also showing that Byleth had never wished her ill.

When she was done and Bernadetta regarded her with kind, open eyes, she was sure she might be on the right track. That was, until the girl’s expression turned thoughtful and she added an idea of her own.

Byleth was silent at hearing that, then facepalmed hard before jumping to her feet. Of course she had forgotten something that simple, yet even more effective than her own weird plan. It seemed that if one action or another involved Edelgard, Dorothea and Ingrid, chances were she would overlook something important, crucial even. 

Was that yet another sign of something else, or just stress over the last few weeks - or days - overwhelming her after all? Well, did it even matter? 

She half walked, half ran towards the main building in all of Garreg Mach, the one that hosted the children’s classrooms as well as kitchens, computer and language centers, the library and the principal's office. While her role as class president had already taken her through those pristine hallways so many times, the white tiles under her feet reflecting her tense expression, it was the first afternoon that she was going there as her heart thudded in her chest, anticipation and fear that her interference would only make things worse coursing through her and making her strides longers.

In the end, she would only know if she tried it, though the idea of failing one more time was daunting. As a result Byleth stood still in front of the great mahogany doors with the golden plaque where the principal’s name was written in frilly silver letters, well aware of the little children that passed behind her in a hurry to get their afternoon break, their shrilly, excited voices a contrast to the heavy feelings in her chest.

She turned abruptly when there was a shriek and watched a small girl fall on the checkered floor. The kid cried, silent tears that kept running even when one of her friends hugged her, rubbing her knee and singing something silly to calm her down. Somehow that scene made Byleth’s heart squeeze in her chest, though at the same time it strengthened her resolve to go on with what she had set out to do. If there were consequences, she would deal with them as well - just as she should, as maybe that was something she ought to have done from the start.

After a long sigh she knocked on the door and waited until principal Rhea’s voice called her forth, then plastered the most polite smile she could muster before walking in. 

* * *

It was almost twilight when Edelgard finally arrived home, wobbling more than walkin the way back after denying both Ingrid’s and Dorothea’s requests to accompany her so she wouldn't fall over and hurt herself any more after their PE practice. The sky was a beautiful dark blue behind the house already as the sun was setting on the opposite side; the street was incredibly calm, with almost no cars or limousines cruising by at that hour and most people getting ready for dinner.

That was good, since it meant she was allowed to trip at every two steps in peace and almost fall multiple times without calling too much attention to herself as well. Her muscles ached and she felt extremely tired, ready to fall into bed without doing any more revision, just changing the notebooks she would need for the next day and calling it a night even though it wasn’t evening yet.

Because yes, despite what Thea and Ingrid had said, even those stupid, easier exercises had tired her greatly and had proved how lacking she was when it came to any sort of physical skill or motor coordination ability (except for when there was a controller in her hands, but that was something else entirely and not comparable). Each and every day they had been practicing thus far had ended with her feeling a little more sore, a little less confident that it would work and a lot warmer inside when she was rewarded with pecks on her cheeks whenever they were done. 

Was it bad that she was mostly letting them go on with that because of the latter, instead of any actual progress that she was seeing or feeling in herself?

The girls were good to her, especially given what had happened between her and Byleth too, how neither of the two hadn’t been cast aside for the other. As she opened the door to the Hresvelg mansion and was hit with some loud F-pop (Faerghus-pop) music from the living room, she gave a small, faraway smile at that thought and for one second forgot how much everything was hurting as of then. 

Only to be hit by cruel, harmful reality when Fiona grabbed her hands and spun her around, singing along with the melody as well. El squeaked as her ankles almost twisted, her shoes skidding against the polished floor so she almost overbalanced and got both her and her sister to fall.

“Elllllllll!” Fiona screamed in delight, letting go of her hand and spinning around in place. “Exam week is almost over, we should celebrate it. Come dance some with meeee.”

Usually that would be enough for her to huff, to brush her sister off and say she had a lot to study - and why wasn’t she doing the same to begin with? It was not because they had one more day in the week that she should already be celebrating. However, something about the setting, the cheerful, not-that-bad music or where her thoughts had been one second ago made her smile instead and nod. Fiona was one year younger than her and deserved to celebrate being the tender age of fifteen for a few months longer at the very least, right? Sixteen was cruel enough as it was.

And if nothing, maybe hanging around her would help Edelgard not think so much about how sore she was, or despair over the PE exam to be held the next month as well, something that she had been practicing a lot as of recent, whenever she lay down to sleep or was engaged in an activity that didn’t really demand her attention.

“Fine, but could you please lower down the music a little? I do want to get some revision done and it will be harder to focus with it like that,” El said at last while taking off her shoes with a wince and her backpack from her shoulders with a yelp. 

“Sis, are you really not getting bullied? You can tell me if you are, i’ll stomp down those idiots before they can even see what’s coming for them,” Fiona said as she watched that and saw new bruise markings on Edelgard’s legs - some of them did look too perfectly round to be made by human fists but one could never know.

The first time she had asked that, Edelgard had become angry, mumbled something about a girl named Byleth who was being mean to her - and if that was the same Byleth that Fiona’s classmates seemed to adore because of the welcoming party she had organized, then it seemed a little strange she would be bullying El. On that occasion though, the older girl laughed and shook her head, limped her way towards the wide, spacious living room and plopped down on the couch instead of the table.

For many people that would have meant nothing, just a stressed high school girl relaxing after classes and too many tests. For a Hresvelg, especially one like Edelgard that tended to adhere to the stupid home rules they had been trained to obey even when their parents weren’t home, that was completely unusual, a crime punishable by law. What with how Fiona had yet to be yelled at given the song choices, the little dancing together and the insistence that they should stick together in the living room, well…

“Strange, but if I didn’t know you any better I’d say you either won the lottery or a professor promised you they’d pass you with 100’s across the board until your graduation,” Fiona paced in front of the couch with a thoughtful expression, frowning whenever her eyes ran over her sister. “You’re in pain, limping, bruised over and somehow… you’re half as cranky as you used to be and actually smiling, laughing at me and agreeing to my antics? What the hell is going on with….”

Fiona stopped, looked over her sister one more time and let pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Just two days ago she had slept at Dorothea’s house, then came home with a uniform that wasn’t her own, had it carefully washed and had hummed to herself while folding it. The irony there was not so much that El had missed a big family dinner on the same day, or treated someone else’s clothing with more care than she did her own. No, the thing was that Edelgard von Hresvelg didn’t hum, or sing, or look that happy while doing something as mundane as sorting out some laundry.

Now she had started getting home a lot later than usual, often sporting new wounds when it happened and even so there would be a small smile on her face from time to time. 

Well it didn’t take a genius to realize what was really going on with her.

“Edelgard!” Fiona exclaimed, her cheeks becoming a pretty tone of red once she turned to face her sister. “Omg, I mean that’s amazing but at school? Really?”

“Hm? What are you talking about?” El frowned at the other girl, a delicate smile still on her lips. Fiona could be so funny at times.

“Oh don’t you play coy with me, young lady!” She retorted, sounding like one of their older siblings or their parents. “I just hope you’re doing it after class and that no one will see you, though you should bring them home and all, it’s not uh… it’s not as if I’d tell on you or whatever.”

“Fiona, could you please stop speaking in riddles?” Now she was annoyed, just a little bit, though her cheeks were also turning crimson at what was being said. Was her sister implying she and her friends should get some PE practice done at home? Well, there certainly was space for it and yes, she’d rather not be seen at school since people loved pointing and laughing at her lack of coordination, but -

“El, are you sleeping with someone at school? Are they… hurting you? I mean- I mean, it’s okay if you’re into it but wow, I certainly didn’t imagine -”

“FIONA VON HRESVELG, WHAT?” Edelgard could only yell in surprise, stopping the girl from going any further. She blushed even more because of that, because of the assumption that the countless purple and black spots over her body were being caused by… “What is it with everyone thinking I’m sleeping with someone else?”

“Well, aren’t you?” the youngest Hresvleg hedged, somewhat less awkward since it didn’t seem to be the case after all. “You’re all dreamy and the likes, so so much more agreeable and happy… That usually happens when matters of the heart - or of the bed given how… hurt you always are - are addressed.”

Edelgard promptly ignored the last portion of the sentence, as her brain had already latched into the first. Matters of the heart... Did she even understand what that meant? Never had she fallen in love before, or thought that such a stupid, foolish thing would even happen to her. Rather, she had laughed at the people in her class that had proclaimed that they had found romance, the solution to their issues and someone who made them feel soft, lightheaded and as if reality had just become a thousand times better, something ethereal and gentle. 

As those who had spent years bullying her back in Enbarr also melted into puddles when describing the people that they adored, the caresses and kisses and the likes, she had sneered at the whole thing, finding it too frilly and a complete waste of time, nothing more than a distraction for those who didn’t want to try hard enough at academics.

It surely wasn’t something for her, who was hated and mocked both to her face and in whispers. 

Well, that had been true in Enbarr, a city that she had loved despite how school had been a little bit bad - no, very bad actually, as she had recently found out while being welcomed by people that actually cared about her. And now that it was the case, what if things had changed since her circumstances certainly had?

“Ah see, you have that look on your face again,” Fiona went on, eventually took a seat beside her sister and held her hand. “Ok so go on, who is she?”

“Hm?” Even El herself wasn’t sure where her thoughts were… or on who they were landing to begin with.

There was definitely Ingrid, so charming, gentle and easy to fluster, the long blonde hair that she liked combing from time to time, the very delicate pecks she would place on Edelgard’s cheek. And Dorothea, kind, lovely, smart and warm Dorothea, who not only had soothed her through one of the worst days in her life, but continued to stay by her side no matter what. That always reached for her hand and helped in any way that she could see fit. And how each and every word, each and every one of her acts, seemed to ebb with love and tenderness for her, no matter the occasion.

And then there was -

No, she would not go there. Surely there was no way any of these girls would give El the time of their day, or think about her in the same form. As she gently pried her hand away from Fiona’s and settled it back on her lap, she decided it would be better to curb that stupid idea before it could take root and make everything worse, the way she had seen it happen with some of her bullies back at Whilhelm I - the ones whose feelings were completely ignored or unrequited.

The last thing she wanted was to not only waste her time with something like _love_ , but to do so and come up empty handed, soiling the nice relationship she had with all of those girls.

“You are being silly,” Edelgard said at last, busying herself with getting notebooks and workbooks she would need for the study session she should start soon. Maybe going over some historical facts would be enough to take her mind off of that? “There is no one like that.”

Fiona grimaced, ogled her sister as if she had said something awful and highly offensive. When Edelgard’s expression stayed put and not another word on it was said, the younger girl ended up shrugging and jumping to her feet again, just in time for another song to start.

“Suit yourself, El,” She said, then started humming and dancing to the music, eyes ever intent in the faraway, lost expression on her sister’s face, the fact that she was taking a little longer than usual to answer questions she would usually race through.

Later, when she and Dana discussed the matter after dinner was over and everyone had retired to their rooms, they had smiled, hugged and even done some sort of silly dance at the thought of their dear El falling in love with someone - then wondered who the lucky person was after all. 

Funny enough, given how much Edelgard had complained about her for the last few weeks, both sisters were more than convinced her name was Byleth Eisner - a girl with the same surname as a guy their brother Eddie had mentioned feeling attracted to the night Edelgard had slept at Dorothea’s house.

* * *

The ball zoomed past her, one centimeter short from actually hitting her head and causing some serious damage as well. Even so she closed her eyes and gasped, a small, pathetic sound that she abhorred and mentally cursed herself for making almost every time a ball or sports of any kind were involved.

“Are you ok, dear? Do you wanna take a break?” Dorothea said, watching over her with some concern. Maybe a break would actually be a very nice idea. They had been at it for more than half an hour already, with a fair share of accidents and the likes happening here and there. 

They had learned to ignore those, helping when necessary but letting Edelgard get to her feet alone, stop a bleeding or another if necessary and tend to her own self, as she would rather not appear as a vulnerable person in front of those girls. It was cute in a sense, at least to Dorothea and Ingrid, but they always had a sneaking suspicion that El was trying to push too hard, to go against something that she could not do for some reason or another.

Which would be completely ok, if Ladislava hadn’t been the one to insist on her staying in PE and trying to play those games as well. The pressure was there, what with the grade and the way things were going now that they were starting gymnastics - and Edelgard had proved, unsurprisingly, to be worse at that than at handball. It had gotten to the point that everyone kept her away from the trampoline and the likes, with fear that she would injure herself simply by standing too close to it.

“No, it is good and we should keep going for a while longer. I don’t want you two to get swamped in your own things because of me later on. All because I took too long to get those exercises done,” Edelgard said after sighing, already feeling guilty that it was a Friday afternoon and they were there, helping her out when it wasn’t even their responsibility to do so anyways. “It has been a long week and you deserve to rest.”

“Hey, so do you,” Ingrid retorted, placing a careful hand on her shoulder and squeezing it the slightest. They had been training her balance and motor coordination by having her stand on one leg and throw a ball around, or catch it when it was thrown back at her. 

The fact that they had yet to progress from that to actually having El walking and passing the ball to them, then running and trying to hit the goal, was just an understatement of all the work they still had to go through. Something that they would rather not mention, but at times it made both Dorothea and Ingrid feel a little disappointed in themselves, as they worried that there wouldn't be enough time for them to get there before the next test.

“Yeah, you’ve been doing a lot and all the effort needed to be rewarded if you ask me,” Dorothea winked, holding her hand and kissing it the slightest. They had been getting a lot more into touching each other as it was, but since none of them seemed to mind or protest, they had just kept going, Dorothea easily being the happiest about it.

And watching with amazed eyes, as Ingrid and Edelgard did the same between themselves and to her as well. 

Could it really be that she wasn’t the only one to think that them being together was one hell of a good idea? That there was more out there than couples, that only two people could be together in a relationship for things to be considered valid and good

She planned to run those ideas with them one day, but whenever she thought about the possibility of not only coming out as polyamorous, but also asking if she could kiss them as well - what with how Byleth and Edelgard weren’t completely friendly too - a shiver just ran down her spine and she would stop, stare and wonder how badly that could go. Several bad scenarios would present themselves, one worse than the last, until the mere notion of opening her mouth to speak of such issues became too much for her.

One step at a time, though. For her to have a chance of getting that conversation to happen, first they had to get Edelgard to pass PE. And talk to Byleth. And for the other tests to come back with decent markings, so none of them would be penalized by their families because of poor academics. The least suspicion they could cast on themselves, the better. 

So many things to do, so little time, so many emotions and thoughts darting through Dorothea’s mind on a daily, hourly basis even. She couldn't wait for all of that stress to be over and for them to probably relax a little - whenever that opportunity came.

“Are you sure, dear? We won’t judge you if you feel like sitting down for a while,” Thea added, as both she and Ingrid had noticed Edelgard wasn’t one to ask for a break even when she desperately needed one. 

It did look like that was one of such times, as her eyes were drooping and she was massaging her palms, the latest place she had hit while trying to keep her balance -and failing to do so one more time. Edie glanced at them, clearly pondering over the possibility, and ended up sitting down on the floor a second later, crossing her legs and glancing away with a forlorn, defeated expression.

So much for not looking like something vulnerable and helpless while they were on the court.

Her dismay was short-lived, as the next second the two other girls joined her and sat one on each side, immediately grabbing her hands in their own. The contact was desired, supportive. Not the littlest bit intrusive or prodding, with none of them pressuring her to do more or do better. Likewise, no one had ever spoken a judgmental, criticizing word to her after an exercise was finished, no matter how poorly it had been performed.

She was certainly surrounded by amazing people, Edelegard thought as her eyes went to both of them in succession, a small smile making its way to her lips again as it had been doing so for the last few days, whenever she thought of them. It was the same smile that Fiona had seen and falsely accused her of liking someone. It was just something that came up naturally whenever those two were involved. 

“Is everything ok, Edie?” Dorothea inquired, though she was also beaming due to the expression on her face. It was entirely too serene, too at odds with their environment and how the sports court had always been seen as a bad place by the smaller girl.

“No, I just - wanted to thank you for all of your help, truly,” El said at least, caressing their hands in return. “Even if I do end up completely failing PE, which is not such a distant possibility after all, I will forever be grateful for every single moment that we have spent here after class. You… you are very dear to me and not only because of that either.”

Why was Edelgard blushing so much, to the point that she was almost the same color as the skirt she used as part of her costume for gaming? A similar tone could be seen on Ingrid’s cheek and a lighter one dusted Dorothea’s, as if she had said something that meant a lot, that had touched their hearts in some way.

“You mean a lot to us too, Edelgard,” Ingrid said, leaning in for a quick peck before pulling and glancing away, at the door to the court.

She had heard the sound of steps coming from somewhere outside of it, her eyes widening before she realized who it was. Her smile got bigger as well, but then she thought that maybe it wouldn’t be a good thing for all of them to be together in the court as it was. Not yet, not right then. 

“Byleth, hey! I was wondering when you’d come too,” Thea said, apparently having a different opinion on the matter than the blonde did. The fact that Edelgard’s shoulders tensed the slightest made Ingrid wince, then almost sigh in relief when they relaxed and those lilac irises were a little less hedged, a little closer to friendly and warm at each passing day. 

Ingrid and Dorothea had been tempted to lock the two together in a room so they could talk, but it wasn’t in their power to do anything else anymore. Nevertheless it was still a relief to see those small changes, the way Byleth responded to them as well.

“I’m not here to stay, in a sense,” Byleth answered, her stride a little rigid as she got closer to the girls, then completely turned towards Edelgard and gave her a small beam. “I uh… have watched you guys training these last few days and I can see some progress already. It's really cool and I love some of the exercises you've been doing, so congrats already.”

“But?” El queried, her voice not at all unkind, merely curious for what was to come next. It had been clear by the other girl's tone that there was something coming next.

“But I might have a better solution for this. Two, actually, but one is only a possibility anyways," she shrugged, tried as hard as she could to keep away the uncertainty from her voice. The way her hands were shaking in anticipation for that moment too.

They stared at each other for a while, with Ingrid and Dorothea widening their eyes once Byleth smiled a little more and offered Edelgard a hand. “Only if you trust me just a bit, just enough to make things right, that is. And give me a chance too if uh… if you feel like it.”

All eyes were on El, on her hooded expression and pondering glance. Her eyes rested over the extended hand, her mind on the words that had just been said. Her heart… well, her heart was thundering in a mixture of surprise, anticipation and something else that she couldn’t really name.

Something that said she had been too quick to judge, maybe so. That she would be no better than those people in Enbarr if she didn’t even forgive Byleth for her words, as it was being asked right then. That there were more than enough reasons why Dorothea and Ingrid seemed to love her so much.

With the sketch of a beam on her face, Edelgard took the offered hand and let Byleth help her get to her feet, then slowly nodded and said: “Ok then. It would be unfair of me to send you away like that too. And that is not the kind of person I want to become, no matter how others may have told me that's exactly who I already am. So thank you, too. Thank you for staying around and trying, even though I have given you every reason to walk away and take both of them with you,” she added, briefly touching Byleth’s arm and caressing it.

The touch made the taller girl blush as much as the skirt the Flaming Eagle had been wearing on the day of the tournament, the day that had started that entire discussion for better or for worse. The day in which Byleth had found a worthy opponent, someone who she had always enjoyed playing against, in the form of a girl who wasn’t that good at sports but did her best no matter what.

Everything about that moment made her heart soar with joy. Dorothea’s and Ingrid’s emerald eyes were dancing and there was some light behind Edelgard’s as well - she had yet to state her proposition, but it seemed that things were already looking up as they were. Maybe taking Bernie’s and Beleth’s advice hadn’t been such a bad idea to begin with.

“No, uh… Thank you for giving me another chance. I swear the last thing I wanted was to say something that would make you uncomfortable at all,” Byleth whispered at last, glancing at their shoes instead of at the other girl’s eyes. She was sure she would explode if she were to look up at that point in time, what with how fast and how lightly her heart was beating inside her chest. “So yeah, you… that wig looks real nice on you, though it would be nicer if you didn’t hide yourself behind it.”

For a second she thought she had gone a bit too far. Edelgard gasped, the sound enough to drive Byleth gaze back to her face. The moment she did, she saw not something hostile and bad, the wish to yell and push her away like before. In its place there was a beautiful blush on El’s cheeks and the smallest sign that that was the last thing she had expected to hear from her.

“But uh, more on that later for sure. I.. have something for you as well as a little idea.” Byleth rummaged in her backpack and took something from it, a thin, white envelope with nothing written on the outside. After handling it to a curious Ederlgard, she explained. “So I’m not completely sure that this will work, but I’ve spoken to principal Rhea about your issues with PE, something that I realize now I should - should have done a lot earlier. That's what a class president is for, right?

“She didn’t give me an exact response, apparently you’d have to get some doctor to examine you and see if it wouldn’t be better for you to steer clear of PE - which rarely happens, they usually just tell you to do more stuff such as weightlifting, some respiratory training if you have asthma and so on. I just really pressed the point that you were miserable and getting too hurt. And she gave me this report, stating she'll think about it some more,” She shrugged, unsure if it had been enough. “I’ll talk to the nurse tomorrow, see if she can’t corroborate my stories and -”

Byleth was stopped once Edelgard enveloped her in a hug that, albeit short, spoke volumes given everything that had happened between them. For her, it was the equivalent of the smaller girl giving her a kiss - well, not quite, but one could dream, right?

“I… you shouldn’t have bothered with all of that,” El said, glancing at some point beside Byleth’s head instead of in those surprised cornflower blue eyes. “Thank you so much.”

“No, it was the least I could do and also… I think there’s a better way for you to train for PE, in case you have to take the conventional test after all. No offense,” she added with a grimace, looking over at the two girls that watched them with enraptured, happy expressions. “But yeah, I see her getting more and more hurt in each passing day. If this carries on she won’t be able to stand in a few.”

“Well, it’s not that bad honestly, but - yes, I wouldn’t complain to a change in this,” Edelgard agreed, somewhat sheepish as well. She was happy with what Ingrid and Dorothea had done for her, but at times just staying there and failing at every simple task could be very frustrating. Especially since those were supposed to be simple ones.

Byleth nodded and smiled, then surprised everyone by offering her arm. “That’s great then, what would you say for a… an afternoon in my house? All of you, I mean, not just Edelgard."

They glanced between themselves, unsure of what to say. Byleth had never invited any of them for something of the sorts. For her to do so while claiming to have a solution for Edelgard’s issue… what could she possibly be planning?

Regardless of what it was, their fate was sealed when a careful, yet trusting Edelgard took the extended arm and laced it with hers, then allowed the girl to help her get her backpack before the four of them marched as slowly as they could towards the main gates. And into the outdoors, with smiles on their faces and curiosity in their hearts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe what could Byleth be planning to do at her home though? And why would it help Edelgard in some way? All that will be answered soon!
> 
> It was time for them to talk more regardless, as these four do deserve the best (and to be together, but maybe that's me being biased xD)
> 
> Also I'd like to thank the chaos squad for alllll the polypeptide (and poly-related stuff) jokes sjsksjska you guys are the best!!!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	11. Exp. Points

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ingrid, Dorothea and Edelgard finally visit Byleth's home and find out what she has planned in order to help El with PE.
> 
> Some talking happens, something that freaks Byleth out even though she had expected it.

It surely wasn’t the first time they had meandered through Garreg Mach in the afternoon, though it was still strange to note how there weren’t as many people on the walkway or cars on the streets given that most were still at work. It meant there were less eyes on them as the four girls made their way through the city, the shortest of them limping and leaning into the blue-haired one, the other two walking a little behind them since they didn't know the way.

Even so they caught other people’s attention, not because they were four girls who were outside of school a little earlier than most, or since one of them seemed to be in a really bad state. And no, as much as all of them secretly wanted to, it wasn't because they were holding hands either, the only source of contact between them being how Byleth was helping Edelgard to walk and kept an arm around her waist.

In the end the one thing that seemed to make store owners that were hanging close to the door, bored workers that happened to glance outside the window the moment they were passing close and the few people who were running errands around the city gawk at them was the interesting, strange aura that seemed to surround all four. How the girls sometimes looked at one or all of them with something intense, questioning or pained depending on whatever thoughts were going through their heads, or in other moments they would laugh at some joke one of them had done.

How their movements were tentative and halting, scared and unsure - and not because they were aiding someone who was hurt, though this certainly helped to halt their progress but make them able to better enjoy that rather chilly afternoon. The way the cold wind ruffled not only trees and leaves, some cloths which hung from lines between buildings, beside houses and on balconies, but also their hairs and clothes, the weak sunlight enveloping them with light and a weak warmth, one that failed to warm them up.

“Are you sure you can keep going for a bit longer, Edelgard?” Byleth asked when the girl tripped over some loose rocks on the walkway and she had to hug her waist to keep her still. “We can take a bus right there and it’ll be no big deal.”

She pointed to a bus stop which stood beside a flower shop, almost completely hidden by vivid purple violets in bloom, roses in colors such as red, white and yellow and some red carnations that were on display. The view, when contrasted by how blue the sky was, made all of them stop and stare for a second, only moving again once a car honked and they realized they had stopped in the middle of the street. 

“Aren’t we rather close to your house, though?” Edelgard asked, even if the idea felt very promising after having to run from the car and almost twisting her ankle again. The last thing she wanted was to be a burden to any of them - her mind said she already was doing that however, what with how the taller girl was having to hold her that steady.

A part of her had protested that touch ever since they started walking and Byleth’s spare hand suddenly fell on her waist, a small help that had kept her from falling. She hated the feeling of being undermined or pitied because of how tired and clumsy she was and recalled the way that girl had done the same to her over and over again from the moment they met, in order to make sure Edelgard understood who was in charge. Or at least that was how she had interpreted what others had called acts of care. 

For now she couldn't say what was the case and would rather not spend too many brain cells on that matter, not when there were tests to focus on.

Before she could say a word against being held or treated like that, she started thinking about what her friends had told her as of late. About how there had always been a concerned edge to Byleth’s every gesture, from the way she spoke to how she tried helping her in every possible way. How she had apologized, as none of her past bullies had done before. 

If she allowed herself to believe that was the case, that Byleth wasn’t really interested in asserting her place over the new girl as leader of the class, then what could all that worry and help even mean? And why did her heart lurch in response in that second, when Byleth turned to glance at her and tilted her head before pulling them to a stop?

“It’s not that far, but also not a ten-minute walk, you know?” She clarified, one eye on her companions and another on the bus that was crossing the streets and would soon be close to them. It wasn’t the one they needed, but living there for years told her the next one would be just fine. “So yeah, it’s up to all of you, really.”

Her eyes roamed to the back, where Ingrid and Dorothea had been glancing around and enjoying downtown as they hadn't done in a long while. Usually they had passed by those places while in a hurry, to the point they couldn’t even remember how beautiful that flower shop was, or the second-hand bookstore that stood beside it with its hues of brown and burgundy, all the warm colors that almost begged for them to go in there and chill even if only for a few minutes. The other, smaller buildings that adorned that street instead of the skyscrapers that had seen them pass before, when they were closer to school. 

“I’m fine in both cases,” Ingrid shrugged, dancing on her feet due to the idea of finally seeing Byleth’s house. It was the one location they had never hung out at, pretty much the only place in Garreg Mach that was unknown to her and Thea. She wondered what had changed to make the girl invite them all of a sudden, or if on that day they would find out the reason why they had been kept away from there, if there was one to begin with. 

On the other hand, Dorothea was still too concerned with Byleth’s promise of what sounded like a magical solution to Edie’s issues with PE, something she doubted would happen if the results she and Ingrid had been getting for the last week were any indication. Not that she didn’t trust her friend - but the claim had been suspicious enough to make her narrow her eyes at Byleth, wondering if the girl wasn’t walking head first into another bad decision again. It would do no good if she kept saying things like that to Edelgard and then failing to deliver or help as she wanted to, no matter how good her intentions were.

Regardless of what was being planned, she would need to talk to Byleth about her approach to the smaller girl too, something she had considered doing before but refrained herself from since everybody involved had been too upset. She would do so whenever she got some alone time with her, or if she caught the slightest sign that whatever she had planned was a very bad idea. 

“Same to me, I could go on but the last thing I want is for our Edie to get too tired - though I certainly wouldn’t mind sleeping with her again,” Dorothea winked, caressed Edelgard’s arm with a slow, circular motion and laughed to herself when she noticed Ingrid watching the whole exchange with widened eyes.

And the way Edelgard blushed before stammering “W-well that certainly was… enjoyable, to tell you the truth.” Though she regretted her words a moment later when Ingrid looked even more shocked at her and Byleth giggled while shaking her head.

Those giggles did turn into full on laughter when Dorothea’s face contorted in pain, as if she had just been offended in some way or the other. “ _ Enjoyable _ ? Is that all I get for such an incredible night? Hoa Edie, I see now that you’re hard to please.”

“Hard to… You know what, never mind that,” Edelgard became even more flustered, wondering what exactly the other girl was implying - and why it was making everyone else chuckle so furiously as well. 

Luckily for her that conversation came to a halt when one of the busses they could use to get to Byleth’s house arrived, slowing down since Dorothea ended up deciding for them and making a sign for it to stop. The others looked at her with a smile, glad to not have to talk about the issue anymore and just get on with it - the four of them were too excited to keep walking on that rhythm for too long. They wanted answers, they wanted to get to know their friend better. 

They wanted to see what was the miraculous-sounding thing that Byleth claimed would help Edelgard way more than the conventional way of exercising, building strength, balance and motor coordination with time. A time they didn’t have, yes, so in a way all of them were desperate for any solution, with Edie herself actually staying up all night panicking about her lack of visible progress in those last few days.

So much for fretting over subjects such as physics and maths, or losing sleep because of high school crushes like other people did - or that's what she had heard anyways.

Though she would be lying if she said her mind didn’t seek for a respite from those concerns by conjuring up mental images about the girls around her.

There was no time for dwelling upon that. Not when there was a chance she could fail a subject for the first time in her life, one that she shouldn’t even be taking to begin with. As Edelgard climbed on the bus with some help from Ingrid and Dorothea, she remembered the envelope she had put inside her backpack. She then sheepishly glanced at Byleth standing in front of them, guiding them towards four empty seats in a row separated by the aisle and some people that would leave soon. 

Had that girl really gone all the way to the principal's office in order to defend her in the infamous Edelgard vs PE case? Sure, she had trusted her words about it at first, simply accepting the paper without really looking at it - she had gotten a peek at a loopy, emerald calligraphy on the folded sheet anyways. Yet the moment she sat down beside Ingrid and placed her pack on her lap, she fumbled for the white envelope and opened it, turning sideways to smile at Ingrid once the blonde lay her head on her shoulder to examine it as well. 

It wasn’t a long document, if it could even be called that since it had been handwritten in emerald ink - who used green pens on something that was theoretically official and important anyways? The words were hard to read at first, what with how curvy and stylish the writing was, but after a while both she and her seatmate were able to make out parts of the entire thing, their eyes lingering on the signature and how it was almost impossible for them to make out the “R” in Rhea from the “N” in Nabatea, something that made them giggle for some reason or another.

“And teachers like saying my handwriting is bad,” the blonde huffed, shaking her head while Edelgard put the piece of paper inside its envelope and the backpack again.

There wasn’t much more to it than what Byleth had said back at the sports court. It was mostly a declaration that principal Rhea vowed to look up into the business of Edelgard being excused from practical PE classes and tests, assuming there was more than enough evidence to indicate that her participation was bringing harm to her health and well-being. 

“Well, it wouldn’t be hard for her to see that is actually the case,” El huffed at those words, shaking her head. “I mean, just look at me. It is highly unlikely someone would get that hurt if not for PE, unless said student is being run over by a truck parade every single day in their life before class.”

“It’ll work out, I’m sure,” Ingrid said in a gentle voice, holding her waist and pulling her closer. “Enough is enough.”

Edelgard could only agree with a nod since she was too busy trying to understand why her chest was fluttering due to that proximity and why it seemed that her face was warm again. She tentatively reciprocated the gesture and also placed a hand on the blonde’s waist, caressing her in order to just test the waters, to just see if that would feel as good as it did whenever Ingrid or Dorothea pecked her cheeks.

The fact that it felt even better made her smile, though the moment was cut short when someone leaned in from the seats on the other side of the aisle and gently tapped Edelgard on the arm, making her bolt and almost release Ingrid in reflex.

“You both look so cute like that,” Dorothea smiled at them, her eyes dancing due to how warm she was feeling while watching them. It wasn’t lost on her that just a few days ago she had wondered if she was about to lose friends, that one of them was too attracted to a certain small girl and would all but forget about her.

But then, after almost having her test taken away from her because she laughed too much at Ingrid’s definition of a  _ poly _ peptide, maybe there was a chance she had just imagined conflict where there would be none. Maybe there was an even greater chance she was daydreaming too much, thinking about spending days and nights cuddling with three amazing girls like that, too. But she would rather not think about that and make herself sad about the situation.

She would confront that part of herself, the one that always wondered why those three would even think about her like that to begin with, once she was alone in the comfort of her bed. Once there was no more mystery about Byleth’s house and what she had been planning.

Speaking of…

“By, I don’t wanna sound like a spoilsport or anything, and if nothing I’m happy you’ve thought about something that might help our dear Edie,” she began once Ingrid and Edelgard had looked away from them with cute, matching blushes on their cheeks. Byleth had also leaned in and watched them, though her glance had mostly been focused on the blonde. “But are you sure this is a good idea?”

The heartbeats spent in silence after those words were said made Dorothea panic the slightest - she wished the answer was a fast one, not something that made Byleth stop and think about it before she could offer a verdict.

“I can’t be sure about it, as we’re dealing with a human being and I don’t know if her mind will take this better, though I surely hope so.” She turned to her friend, noticing the creases in her forehead that had shown up due to that response. “Why?”

Thea sighed, thought over her words so what she wanted to speak wouldn't come out aggressive. “You gotta be careful about how you say things, though. If you give her too much hope that it’ll solve her issue and then it doesn’t, this could make things worse between us - between the two of you, that is. That, on top of whatever caused this fight to begin with, could be too much. She’s really concerned about failing PE, you know.”

“Yeah, but I’m sure you know it better than me. You were with her on Monday and the likes,” Byleth explained once Dorothea silently asked for her to elaborate. It still felt like a blessing that nothing had been said not only about their argument, but her words and identity as a gamer too. Granted, she had plans for that, but she would rather do things her way, one step at a time. “I’ll pay more attention to it from now on.” 

The sheepish grin that followed that sentence, as well as the quick glance thrown on Edelgard’s way - and how it seemed that Edie had also been looking as Byleth’s beam widened before receding - was all Dorothea needed to understand that yes, nothing had been done with the intention to hurt. She had always known Byleth wasn’t the kind of girl to do so, but given how upset Edie had been that day, she had carried the smallest bit of doubt even then. 

“Good idea on you talking to Rhea though,” Dorothea added, her hand absently caressing Byleth’s knee. “If the way she was looking at that paper is any indication, I’d say you just scored some major points with her.”

“Pffff,” Byleth shook her head, averted her eyes. Then placed a hand over Thea’s in order to keep it in place, squeezing it. “Don’t be ridiculous.” 

"Hey, I might be ridiculous right now, but at least I'm not acting suspicious like you are," she shot back, trying to not let her face show how much she was enjoying that touch. Even if she had been the one to initiate contact, as it seemed to always be the case, it was amazing to have it reciprocated and continued too.

"You're always…  _ susdiculous  _ though, so don't come at me with that." Byleth crossed her arms, a part of her mind warning her that she was starting to act a little more like she did when she was home alone. 

That wasn't home, nor was she alone and about to play a game while having the best snacks her brother's money could buy. No, that was she, being herself in public transportation, with three other girls that meant the world to her. 

Her heart skipped a beat as she waited for a response, fearing the backlash and judgement she would get at that. Yet those emerald eyes she had always adored simply smiled as Dorothea giggled, her palm turning up in order to capture Byleth's. 

When the only words that were uttered by the tallest of them were, "Goddess, how much I missed this side of you," she was sure she was about to combust. 

Gratitude, relief and something that must be extreme happiness made for a volatile combination, one which ended with Byleth blushing more than Edelgard and Ingrid combined whenever they were taunted. She looked down at the ground, too flustered to say anything in response for the first few seconds. Once that wave of emotions subsided she glanced up at a smiling Dorothea and inquired, just to make sure she had heard it right.

Just testing the waters as it was, nothing serious behind it. “This side of me?”

Thea’s eyes opened in surprise as the possibility that she had offended the other girl came to mind. “Oh I uh… I really like the person you are right now, don’t get me wrong,” she uttered in order to make amends, or to make sure the girl wouldn’t have the wrong impression. “But you used to be a lot more playful, making all the types of jokes around us. And then hm, maybe last year or even before that, you started getting a little more formal, a little more unreachable. 

“It’s been a while since the last time I heard you crack a silly joke like that,” she petted the hand on her own, keeping her words as gentle as she could so as to not scare her. “And it makes me happy to see a smile reaching your eyes too. Also, I… I really care about you, Byleth. So if there’s anything you’d like to talk about or something, I’ll always be here.”

There was absolutely nothing Dorothea could have said to get Byleth in a more embarrassed state if she had tried. That was a surprise to both of them since it was the first time they had seen her have such a reaction to Thea’s comments - but then, those words hadn't really been flirtatious or the likes and only had gotten to her due to how true they were.

Without knowing about the real situation at hands, the brunette had just alluded to the period in which her family had declared Beleth as the superior twin and helped him into college while petting Byleth's hair and saying she wasn’t as smart. The period of her life when cartoons and games had been hidden at home since they would be seen as a confirmation to their words. It hadn’t been fun, it still wasn’t fun when there were family gatherings of any sorts and she received some jab or another because of it, because of not being as good with numbers as Beleth was.

To have her suffering recognized, even if in an indirect way, made a pain that had been lying latent in her chest release its hold on her as she let go of a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

Given how there were almost tears behind Byleth’s eyes by the time Dorothea was done and they fell silent, just caressing each other’s hands on a closeness that felt entirely too new - and wasn’t lost on Ingrid and Edelgard either - it wasn’t a surprise that By forgot to tell them their stop was arriving. When she realized they were almost at the shopping mall and would have to retreat a little bit, she shot to her feet and apologized, pulling everyone up and cursing herself for the terrible mistake.

So much for them taking the bus so that Edelgard wouldn’t have to walk as much. 

* * *

In the end, they hadn’t been too far away from the right bus stop so they would be as close as possible to Byleth’s house. It wasn’t a neighborhood any of them had been to before, though they knew some important places that were a bit close to it - especially a certain café named the Gaming Mug, which they all shared a like of even if two of them did so in secret.

It was even better that they had to stroll around a bit more slowly through those parts, as they were taken by the nice houses in different colors, the roundabout and the flowers in bloom, the way sunlight fell over it all and gave the entire place a feeling of calm, as if it was a peaceful world detached from how chaotic and loud Garreg Mach city could get.

“Damn By, this looks really cool,” Ingrid said once the girl informed them they had arrived at her street. She had an arm around Edelgard’s shoulder, with Byleth and Dorothea standing on Edie’s other side. Though that was more for precaution than anything else; she hadn’t really stumbled after they got out of the bus, but better safe than sorry anyways. 

The last thing they wanted was for her to get more injured on their watch, for one. They also had to admit that being that close together was very comforting, something none of them was really adverse to anyways.

“Yeah, it’s kinda far from the main streets so we get some peace and quiet. Though on new year and the likes some people here go even crazier with the fireworks and the uh, you know, decorations," Byleth answered as she was the one to almost stumble once she turned into the front yard of her place.

Luckily her friends were able to stabilize her before she fell; the irony of having Edelgard von Klutzvelg (she had told them the stupid nickname she had been given in primary school) look at her with concern wasn’t lost on her. Nor was the fact that she was rambling, speaking for the sake of trying to distract her mind from what was about to happen, from how fast her heart was beating and how there was a cold, eerie sensation running from the tip of her stomach to her head before going all the way down again.

She wouldn’t be stupid to say it was the first time she had felt that anxious about something, but surely it was the first one in which she was practically trembling in front of people who had known her for such a long time. Granted, someone could argue that they hadn’t  _ really  _ known her thus far if there were secrets she had been keeping from them, but even so. 

“Is everything ok?” Edelgard asked as they made their way through the yard and waited in front of the door, watching their friend fumble with her backpack in order to get the keys. It had been shocking to El when Ingrid said that it was the first time they would be seeing what the Eisner abode looked like up close, their only looks into parts of the interior had happened through pictures taken over the years.

Yes, Byleth had been to their homes and even on sleepovers when they were little, the thought of the three sharing secrets and laughs through the night making Edie wish she had been there with them as well. But there was always a mystery or a reason why they couldn’t go to her house as well, something that maybe would be revealed on that day.

Something that was making Byleth wish she had never thought that was a good idea to begin with. Even if it was - and she really wanted to say it was - that was also being too much of a hassle over something so small.

Her brain needed to shut up and stop overreacting, she decided, then simply nodded and smiled at the smaller girl while pulling the key out of her pocket and trying to open a damn door. Something that, on that point in time, on that pleasant afternoon in which they should have been relaxing and preparing for another horde of exams (and maybe more poly things for Ingrid to fret about), was proving to be way more difficult than it was for Edie to score a goal at handball.

“Dear, do you want me to -” Dorothea started, but hearing that the taller girl was about to offer her help in doing an act as mundane as opening a door was enough to make Byleth recall how to execute it and actually succeed on her own.

“Hey wait a sec.” Ingird used her free hand to pull on By’s sleeve, causing her to halt before she could more than likely dash inside the place. “I really hope you didn't feel pressured to bring us here and honestly it’s ok, we don’t have to go in if you don’t want us -”

“But I do want you to come over. I - I have been wanting you to, for a while now." For the first time ever since they left the school her body relaxed, even more so when she was met with nothing but supportive, gentle stares. She was sure they had noticed how stiff, almost robot-like she had been while giving those last few steps towards her home, how her face had frozen in a half smile that was nothing but panicked. 

Her heart swelled with warmth at the fact that she hadn’t been questioned, pointed at or laughed about in any part of the way. That they were offering her a way out even then, even when they were literally in front of the house.

“Is there some place you want us to steer clear from? Or something we can’t or shouldn't do?” Edelgard inquired, frowning in recognition of that state.

On the few occasions when someone from school had tricked her enough for her to think she had found a friend, that was always the way she would be like when inviting said person to the Hresvelg mansion. She could recall vividly as day how her instructions of staying away from every room other than her own were usually ignored - and how some of them had been using Edelgard to get closer to her older siblings as well, but that was a memory she would rather forget for the sake of her sanity.

Enbarr, for as much as she had loved it, had also been a crazy, lonely and painful time in her life.

“Uh n-not really. Would you just stay in the living room for a while? There’s… there’s something I need to fetch and all,” Byleth said as she pushed through her fears, her anxiety and doubts on what would come next. 

She had decided to do this not only because she wanted to be herself with them, but also since she was sure that would help Edelgard too. And if she could do both and make amends for before, for all that had been going on ever since she had said things the ways she shouldn’t have… Well, it was way better than lying around and wondering how the girls would think about her, right? 

“Of course, darling. Whatever makes you feel comfortable,” Dorothea was the first to agree, then leaned in to peck Byleth’s cheek before the door was pulled wide open and they walked in.

The house was gloomy since the windows were closed, casting everything in shadows and half lights that added to the mystery of the entire place, the famous house that Ingrid and Dorothea had been kept away from for so many years. They resisted the urge to lean forward and peek, to see if they would find things like a high tech lab, an illegal pet, a dragon or some plants of dubious origins. Something, anything that would justify why they hadn’t been allowed there any sooner.

Instead they were met with a nice couch, a plush rug and a TV set for the living room, a table filled with documents and papers Beleth was more than likely working on over a white, lacy tablecloth. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the home, unless one counted the fact that it looked way too organized for two seventeen-year-olds that lived together, but then they chalked it off to Byleth being an orderly person in general.

Little did they know how out of place they were with that deduction while they took seats on the couch as per Byleth’s request and watched her open the curtains, then smile at them before disappearing back upstairs, running as fast as she could without making it too obvious that she was nervous.

“She’s so nervous, I feel bad for her,” Dorothea uttered once they were sure Byleth was out of earshot. “And it’s like, I don’t even see why she should be.”

“Yeah, this is just a normal house, though I’d be forever thankful if mine was just as clean as this one,” Ingrid added, rolling her eyes at the thought of how much dirt her father could and did produce on a daily basis. 

The comment made her gasp once Edelgard and Dorothea leaned into her since she had sat down between them, and covered the hands she had clasped at her lap with theirs too. When they caressed it in a silent support she felt like she would combust, then mentally thanked every deity up in the sky once they heard Byleth half stumbling, half running downstairs again.

The moment they turned around to look, too curious to wait and see what she had in store for them, they all froze in their seats, bodies tensing with the shock of that vision.

In front of them stood Byleth Eisner, the girl they loved and had hung out with for some time. The class president who was amazing at everything, from sports to school subjects that were tricky, such as maths and physics. The nice, caring person who had tried her best to help them and others in whatever possible and sometimes impossible way.

However, in front of them also stood someone they had seen on fewer occasions, the green hair tumbling over their shoulders, the glasses that only obscured half their face since the mask wasn’t on. Someone who was a great gamer, a champion ever since they had joined the scene and made everyone stand in awe of such a capable player. The one who had made Edelgard feel bad about her gaming skills one too many times for her to count, to the point that, even though she had already known who that person was, there was still the slightest bad taste in the back of her mouth when she saw the wig, the green and silver that she had despised so much on the first championship.

The fact that the Ashen Demon, no, Byleth, was carrying a purple console in her hands alongside a game box that Edie herself recognized from a beta test done a few months ago made her eyes widen, a small smile taking over her face in understanding. 

That would have to be addressed later though; she didn’t need to look to her side to know that Ingrid and Dorothea were probably coming to the realization that their friend was also someone that they admired outside of school.

No one spoke for too long, which just made everything even worse. Too many thoughts came and went, lips parted so a word or another would be uttered, but whoever had tried saying something decided against it and just looked down, away, at the white walls and pristine decoration. At what was starkly in front of them and could no longer be unseen, the quiet revelation louder than as if someone had yelled it through two megaphones that were joined together.

Everything was so still they could almost hear each other breathing, or the ideas which were running through their heads. It was a scary reaction, one of the many that Byleth had considered while consolidating her plan and running it through with Bernadetta the day before. The smaller girl had assured her nothing bad would happen. That yes, maybe they would be surprised but soon would come to the conclusion that now there was another thing that they could bond with. That maybe once the console was up and the entire plan was out in the open, they would be more accepting of it, of getting to know that aspect of her as well.

So she stuck to that idea, to what seemed like a very logical progression of things. Although she wished someone, anyone, would say something before she were to move, she did so anyways and deposited the video game in front of the TV, then connected it as necessary before turning both on, well-aware of how she was being scrutinized by two pairs of eyes that had been stunned into the silence.

How the third one, a lot gentler than expected, simply watched and held two other hands in her own, tried reassuring them with touch alone.

Yet no matter how surprised or out of it they were, or maybe because having Edelgard caress them helped grounding their thoughts, before Byleth could put the minuscule game cartridge into the console Dorothea shook her head and woke up from that stupor. Though she wasn’t sure if what she was about to say was the right way to go about things, she went on with it anyways.

_ Someone  _ would have to say something sooner or later in any case. “So Manuela did have a reason to ask me if you weren’t playing with us just because you were scared of harming my old console,” her voice trembled the slightest, but in the end she managed to say it as gently as she intended it to. Though her mind was still whirling at it, at the fact that her guardian hadn’t only been talking about Byleth when she had asked that.

That Manuela’s eyes had glittered with a knowing look whenever Thea had mentioned that neither Edelgard nor Byleth were gamers. And given how they had both kept silent about why they had fought on Monday, or how serene Edie was looking right then when compared to both her and Ingrid…

“She… might have, yes,” By said as she turned to meet Dorothea’s gaze. Her heart panged in pain once the girl looked away, but she had expected something like that to happen from the beginning. 

Knowing there was a chance she would lose her friends because of that was different than seeing it happen though, something she was reminded of at that moment, when one of the girls she adored avoided her eyes. Ingrid was just staring, mouth agape, probably trying to make sense of everything on her own. And Edelgard…

Edelgard simply closed her eyes with a wince once she saw how that was going on, a feeling that was intensified when Dorothea’s hand slowly slid out of her grasp for a heartbeat. Even though it returned to where it had been a few seconds later, it still felt like there was some emotion or another that was telling Thea to pull away.

Once upon a time Edie had been too focused on academics to literally care about things like friendships. Nowadays, what with how warmly she had been welcomed into that group, she would rather fail PE than let the three come apart because of her. After all, if it weren’t for the fact that Byleth was trying to help her pass that stupid test, neither of them would be there to begin with.

That was the thought that made her get to her feet and face the two on the couch after placing herself between them and Byleth, almost as if shielding the girl from judgement or whatever would follow that quiet admission of who she truly was. “I am the Flaming Eagle,” she said, her voice loud enough to fill in all the corners of the room that had been taken over by shocked silence.

A silence that wasn’t helping them, that didn’t seem to whisper of a good, positive outcome. A silence that intensified because of her words, of her fumbling around her backpack later in order to retrieve the bracelet that she wore for luck. The black eagle pendants that had always seemed to strengthen her did the same in that minute too, even though her heart was beating in triple speed and she was wondering if she had spoken too soon.

If in her haste to show solidarity, to help Byleth not feel as alone in that confession, she had stolen a moment that was meant to be spent only between the three of them.

That doubt was dissipated when Byleth sprung to her feet, walked to Edelgard and, after holding her gaze for a second in which gratitude flowed between them, hugged her, keeping her as near as she was able to.

“The Flame Emperor too,” Edie said in a small voice, then yelped in surprise when Ingrid slowly got up from the couch and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it.

“Wow I, I knew that both of you were amazing, but that’s really uh… next level,” the blonde uttered with a tentative beam, her eyes flickering towards Dorothea and finding her too tense for something that should be a little more light hearted. “You - you two have to teach me how to play like that because damn, you were so amazing in the last tourney. And yeah, you simply dominated the entire thing from beginning to end, as - as you always do of course, ha. ”

They understood that she was mostly babbling - there was something to her tone that showed some nervousness and unease, both feelings more than completely understandable given how long they had known Byleth, how long that had been lying in the shadows and denied over and over again. 

On the other hand, Dorothea remained quiet for a few seconds longer as she tried making sense of her feelings, of everything that was going on around her. Of why that had happened, why they had been denied that information and why that knowledge alone was enough for her to feel something sour, some sort of sadness within her.

The idea that she hadn’t been good enough, trustworthy enough for Byleth made her eyes sting, yet she did her best to beam and keep that sign of distress to herself. They had gone through so much as of recently and were still navigating where that fallout had led them, what it had meant to their relationship. Though anger burned in her chest and her heart squeezed with the certainty that somehow it was her fault, she smiled and giggled at that, then joined the others in that strange group hug.

When both Edelgard and Byleth pulled her into the embrace, a bit of her sadness abated given how genuine and true that felt like. It was as if she was finally hugging those girls and a part of herself was more grateful that they had trusted her with that information, than mad that it had been hidden for as long as it had.

At least they had found her good enough to tell her after all, right? She knew enough about herself to understand where that feeling was stemming from; the fear of either being too lacking or too much was a constant that had accompanied her through life more or less. As she pulled Ingrid into the hug and the moment became externally merry with another set of laughter echoing in the previously quiet room, she recalled other instances in which those emotions had been there.

The most recent of them, of course, had been Monica and her scathing, judging words that had marked their relationship even before Thea even told her about finding out she was polyamorous. Though that of course had gone as well as Edelgard during the PE exam, but that was neither here nor there.

“So uh… your plan to help Edie is to let her play video games?” Dorothea asked in order to keep those thoughts at bay. Things would only get worse if she went on entertaining such memories after all. “I mean, you bet I wouldn’t complain about watching any of you three amazing gamers having a go at it, but I don’t see how this relates to PE, dear.”

They had moved away from the hug and simply stated at one another. The warmth from it, the lightness from such a revelation and how well it had (mostly) been taken lingered against their skins, imprinted itself on their hearts. That was why they all turned to face Thea with questioning stares after she had said that, for as much as she was able to control her voice and expression, making them remain neutral, there had been the smallest edge to her voice that wasn’t missed.

Which made her internally grimace once three sets of worried eyes went to her, but she just shrugged and beamed even wider to show that everything was fine. That moment wasn’t about her - it was about the two amazing players that had won tournament after tournament for the last several years and how they had met in Garreg Mach, how they could help each other through an activity that they enjoyed.

As much as Thea herself was a gamer, as much as she had been dedicating herself more and more to Fokken so as to become better - and forget her pathetic performance in the opening championship - she felt as if she were an outsider in a party that was composed solely of the best.

“Well uh… I got this yesterday,” Byleth held up the game so they could all see it, her own gaze on the floor once she yet again witnessed the consequences of her actions. Although Dorothea was mostly one to offer help instead of ask for it, she and Ingrid had known her for long enough to understand how she usually blamed herself when things were kept away from her. 

One look to those emerald eyes that By adored and she could see some sadness right there, hiding behind the fake sense of cheerfulness and curiosity over the entire matter. So much for her minding her words and no longer hurting the people she adored.

Ingrid grabbed the box from her hands and examined it, cooing over the sleek design and the illustration of a cartoon person doing all the types of sports, from dancing to soccer, tennis and golf. In front of the pretty illustrations, in bold red letters, was the name “HreSports Resort deluxe edition”.

“It’s a motion control game that also helps with things like balance and strength training,” she explained, then went to the rack and grabbed a black board which had been hiding behind it. “The deluxe edition came with this and a special controller so yeah. I uh… I thought it would be good for Edelgard to practice with this since she - well, she’s a gamer like us.”

All eyes turned to both Byleth and Edie as they tried to gauge the smaller girl's reaction, to make sense of what was really going on there. Even Thea couldn’t help but smile, her heart beating a little faster at that indication of care. 

“You… shouldn’t have, really,” El whispered, her cheeks flaring to life with the realization that it was all for her in some sense. That Byleth had risked her own identity, the love of those girls who had been her friends for so long, in order to help her like that. “I have no words but, than- thank you.”

“It was the least I could do after well,  _ that _ .” Byleth scratched her head, sheepish, then retrieved the box from Ingrid and placed the small cartridge on the console. “Do you wanna try it? Also it’s ok if you don’t, but uh… I thought that maybe it’d be easier for you to work better on those things if it was in a game. That maybe your mind would be more at ease too, instead of when you’re at the sports court and all. You get too tense with like…  _ sports  _ sports, so maybe e-sports can help."

Edelgard smiled and nodded, wordlessly opened her hand and accepted the red and black controller that By had selected to be the one to go along with the bundle. It was almost as if she hadn’t gotten the game while thinking about El. Almost.

They watched her go through the opening screen and select a simple gymnastic routine before stepping on the black board, so naturally that it was as if she had done it a thousand times already.

“Oh, did you get this game too? Looks like you know how to go about it,” Ingrid inquired while she and Byleth sat back on the couch, eager to see how that would go.

“Oh no, that isn’t my type of game for some very obvious reasons,” Edelgard chuckled, one eye on them and another on the loading screen.

She was blushing again, more due to the thought that they were looking at her, but at the same time realized they had been there all along for the last few days. And that she wouldn’t be judged for gaming, as much as she hadn’t been for not being good at sports. That made her shoulders relax and her heart beat more at ease, even though she still knew it would be a challenging afternoon regardless of the fact that now she would be training with a video game. 

“But I… sometimes help father… with beta testing games,” she went on, now completely focused on the screen while a cartoon girl in the middle of an equally cartoonish stadium began her routine by standing on one foot, then the other, before jumping. She patted herself on the back when she managed to do all of those without falling, though she did slightly overbalance after the jump and missed the following leg lift, but that was fine. “So I - I have tried it before but…” She yelped a bit as the sequence asked her to rapidly jump three times, of which she managed only the first. “But both dad and I… agreed that this was… not a game I should work with.”

“An amazing gamer, incredible student and a beta tester to top it all off? Oh Edie, aren’t you a real catch,” Dorothea said in her usual teasing voice; though it did make Edelgard get more flustered and make another mistake in the game, it also resulted in both Byleth and Ingrid glancing at her. 

They would seriously need to talk and soon, they decided on their own, but the glance they shared was enough to let them know everyone was on the same page.

It took a while for it to happen though, what with them commenting on game mechanics, amazing graphics and other sports that Edelgard should try in order to train one thing or the other. At some point Byleth silently went to the kitchen and returned with her arms full of snacks and drinks, the wig now resting over the table and a smile on her eyes taking the place of the sunglasses she had worn to countless matches. 

They were more than happy to take a break, to sprawl over the rug once By told them it was ok to do so (since Edelgard went straight to the table once she was asked to give the a stop ; she was panting too much for them to not be concerned) and grab as much food as they wanted. It wasn’t lost on Byleth that it was the first time she was actually sharing her love of sweets and snacks with someone else, let alone three someones who were more than happy to thank her for it and ask if she wanted them to go get something instead.

“It’s only fair since you pretty much emptied your pantry for us,” Edelgard said, smiling due to how good the chocolate cake she had gotten was. That was after the cookies they had shared, which came after the family-sized bag of chips the four devoured together and so on.

“Hm… no worries, that would be around how much I eat on my own in one evening. So Beleth knows and will get us more stuff without me asking,” Byleth answered with a grin, then laughed when they gaped at her.

“One afternoon I… And here I thought I was the big eater,” Ingrid commented; she had always been called out by her father for eating too much. Well, he would certainly have a fit if he saw what was in front of them, the myriad plastic bags, plates and soda bottles that formed almost a wall around them. And also there was the video game that had been turned off from the day, after they decided that enough was enough.

The problem with no more playing, at least not HreSports, was that they had nothing else to do but stare at each other. For their thoughts to return to what they had tried ignoring, what they had almost succeeded in distracting themselves from. 

And now that Dorothea’s mind turned back again to everything that had been hurting her before, she realized it was no longer the time to hide her feelings. If her friends were being truthful about who they were, then maybe she could allow herself to be upset, to let them know about it. To ask all the questions that had been making her head throb as well.

“Were you planning to tell us about being gamers?” She winced at the bite behind her tone, but didn’t take it back. Not even when both Edelgard and Byleth lowered their heads, feeling the weight of her accusation. Since she was facing the window and the light that was coming from it was somewhat weaker, it made both girls look as if their semblance was cast in shadows.

The silence that came was enough of a reply, one that made Thea sigh and close her eyes in pain. Was she really that unworthy of their trust? Had she done something, anything at all to deserve being kept away from such an important part of their lives?

“Why even hide this, though? It’s part of who you are and we wouldn’t love you any less if we knew about it before,” Dorothea went on, this time well-aware that her voice warbled with tears. She understood the fear of being rejected for who she was. She understood too much how awful it was to keep secrets, as there could be terrible consequences to them coming out.

Was she asking them those questions, or were they aimed at herself?

Surprisingly, it wasn’t Byleth who answered that even though Thea had mostly been looking at her. “Perhaps you wouldn’t mind as much. Or maybe you would even cherish that, as I presume would be the case since gaming is a shared interest,” Edelgard said with a smile, though her shoulders were tense and her eyes were focused somewhere behind Dorothea. “Of course I can only speak of my own experiences, but unfortunately that isn’t true of everyone out there.”

It didn’t matter that they were speaking about something very different than what was in Thea’s mind. That conversation hit so close to home, the brunette soon found herself clasping her hands together and holding on tight, a sign of distress that wasn’t lost on the others.

“Those people from Enbarr…?” Ingrid suggested, scooted closer to both Edie and Byleth before placing a hand on the smaller girl’s shoulder. 

“Yes and no.” She sighed, pursed her lips. It was the first time she felt comfortable enough to talk about it, but that didn’t mean it was something easy to do. “Yes, that was one of the reasons why they bullied me when I was younger and just talked about gaming all the time. What with my family being, well you know… everyone just assumed I wasn’t even a good player. That I simply won small tourneys at school because everyone was too scared of humiliating the  _ gaming princess _ , as I was called. 

“The second story that usually ran around school was that I got all the cheats and dirty tricks from the producers and game developers, so that was why I would win matches against people who were older than me. It was stupid and pointless, as I knew it wasn’t true, but even so. One day after I came home way too upset because of that, dad told me to just pretend I didn’t like games instead. That maybe it would be better for me to either not participate in any sort of competition, or… hide my identity, use a different name.”

“Your father told you to hide who you were?” Byleth turned to look at her and saw the pain in her eyes, finally comprehending why she had felt the need to use masks like that. It just hurt a bit more that it had happened because of her family and those awful people at Wilhelm I too. 

Though she realized right then that it shouldn’t have been a complete surprise to her, at least not the part about her being part of the Hresvelg family. Maybe she had been too stuck in her own feelings about why Edelgard hid who she was to realize that could be a major issue too.

“It was the best solution, right? I enjoyed the thrill of competing too much and I couldn’t even think about giving up on it, especially since I’m the only Hresvelg that actually plays.” As three pairs of eyes fell on her with a question in them, she rubbed her temples and answered in a small voice, as it wasn’t something she liked to admit. “When you have as many siblings as I do, sometimes you are either cast aside or confused with someone else. So having an activity that sets you aside from the others is almost a must.”

“Oof yes, that must be really something. “ Dorothea grimaced, then concluded: “And you thought we might judge you as well if you told us about being the Flame Emperor.” Her heart ached at those admissions, as she also hated whenever Edie talked about her bullies back at Enbarr and all they had done, how they hadn’t been punished most of the time. How she had had to adapt instead. 

“I didn’t know you enough when the topic of gaming first came into light, so yes.” Edelgard shook her head, reconsidering. “Though I am sure I would have kept the lie going even if I had known you a little bit better. Given how long I have been doing this, it’s become second nature to just say no when someone asks if I play games.”

Without them even noticing they had moved closer to one another while that story was told. So it was easy for Byleth, Dorothea and Ingrid to place a hand over hers and caress it, a quiet indication that everything was ok.

“Well good news, you don’t have to hide anymore. Not with us anyways,” the blonde whispered, then leaned in to peck her cheek and chuckled when she blushed at that.

Those lilac eyes were incredibly gentle when they turned to Byleth and she uttered before someone could go on with making her flustered, something that almost seemed like a favorite sport between them: “I have been wondering about you, though. Don’t feel forced to say anything, but I hope you know that your reason for hiding is valid… no matter which one it is.”

From the moment that Byleth had made the decision to say everything, to come out of the controller closet and help Edelgard, she had felt a weight upon her chest, one that had become greater the closer they had been to the moment of truth. However, when those words were said and she was touched by all of them - lastly by Edie, who was still a bit reluctant in showing her some physical affection - part of that pressure dissipated and her heart calmed down. It wasn’t enough for all of her nervousness behind that moment to go away, but she was sure that it would take some time for things to feel remotely normal after that afternoon..

She had thought it would be hard to talk about what had taken her to put on a wig and contacts in a color that she despised. Yet maybe because there was nothing but warmth in their stances, in the close way they were sitting in a small circle over the plush carpet in her safe space no less, it just felt natural for her to shake her head and proceed.

“Thanks but you guys deserve the truth anyway. Lying and… communicating in a less than ideal form has almost cost me too much.” Her eyes swept over all of them and her heart seemed to turn itself upside down because of all those feelings, of all that she experienced while simply looking at them. “You know my parents got out Garreg Mach a while ago and left me and Beleth here, right? And that he’s pretty much gone straight to college after completing school somewhere else. But well… he’s also been taking care of the company and all, which I think is way too taxing for someone who’s also our age. 

“The thing is, Beleth has always been seen as  _ the _ family genius, which is fair since he has one hell of a way with numbers. But me… At best I was smart-ish, or a smartass depending on who you asked, but nothing compared to him.” It was funny to see how they were gawking at her with wide eyes, as if she had just said that a white dragon was about to rule the world and the sky was green. “So uh… imagine how - how worse they’d think I was if suddenly I told them I was playing video games competitively, enjoying cartoons and reading visual novels. That all I wanted to eat for the rest of my life were snacks. That I’d rather game the night away than study some more.

“So that’s how the Ashen Demon idea came to life, after I read about this person in some history book or another, way back then. At least it would give me freedom to play and retain the rest of the dignity I still had in the eyes of my family and other people too. I mean, who would take me seriously if I was a gamer? No offense of course, but you know the things people love saying about us.” 

They nodded and embraced Byleth, their eyes twisted in a mixture of concern for her and disgust for the issue that had been presented to them. It was unthinkable to them that someone would see Byleth as something less than amazing and a genius at school, with or without a brother to compare to.

“Your parents always seemed to be so chill when I met them, though,” Thea protested, a hand entwined on Byleth’s tousled blue hair, caressing it the slightest. “Not that I don’t believe you, but it’s just ironic that someone would call you simply smart-ish.”

“Yeah, have they never seen your report cards with all those 100s?” Ingrid added, one hand on Edelgard’s waist and the other on Byleth’s since she was sitting between them. No matter how sad that entire thing was, a part of her was somewhat happy to have them all around, so close. It felt good and complete, in a way that she didn’t really know how to explain. In a way that made her mind hum, content.

“Oh mostly my grandmother and her brother are in charge of the company; they made my parents believe that stuff and praised Beleth to high heavens since we were little. I mean that’s totally ok, he’s amazing with numbers and calculations, but -”

“That doesn’t justify anything,” Edelgard huffed as she always did whenever family members acted unfairly or poorly towards those she loved. “Him being talented with numbers doesn’t make you incapable or not a genius in your own way.” If someone had told her that she would be calling Byleth a genius without it being in mockery, she would have laughed and said that person needed to go get some sleep. “Don’t they know that being very good at pretty much everything also means you are a genius?”

Byleth tilted her head, intrigued. As much as she had tried to stop listening to how her family judged her, at times it was too easy to simply believe their words instead of trying to understand how her own brain worked. Or to figure out who was right, the friends who called her gifted or the adults that said she was ok. “Wait, is it?”

“There are many types of intelligence out there, some are even related to emotions and group management, perceiving others and their personalities, communication, you name it,” the smaller girl said, beaming softly before leaning her head on By’s shoulder. “People should stop equating smartness to high scores on a test or how old one is when they are able to solve polynomials.”

The last part of her sentence made them laugh, a respite from how serious and heavy the atmosphere had become. The silence that followed was also a lot better since it was filled with caressing and closeness instead of the distance that had been between them before.

“You’re very smart and amazing gamers, both of you,” Dorothea said at last, pulling away and giving Edelgard and Byleth a little kiss on the cheek. "It's inspiring to see how you do things, the dedication behind your actions, everything. And you too, Ingie dear,” she added, also gave her a peck on the forehead. “Granted, you might struggle the most with the nomials that are poly, or the peptides that are poly, but you’re a great player and just the best at sports.”

“And you are great with music, arts and communication, Dorothea,” Edelgard said since Ingrid was too busy blushing and denying it all with vigorous head shakes. “Also your ability to read a room has always impressed me, your clarity over emotions is astounding.”

While the others agreed with “yeah”, glad one of them had kept their wits to formulate a response, Dorothea’s eyes stung again and she almost gave in to her urge to cry. She hid her face on Edelgard’s neck instead, nuzzling there as she called the smaller girl a sweetheart and made her cheeks turn crimson once more. 

“Seems like you forgot to mention that she’s a genius at flirting too, Edelgard,” Byleth added with a chuckle, more than happy with how things were turning out. How the tension that had been between them before had mostly gone away and left them a lot closer, with even Edelgard accepting hugs and the likes from her. 

Sure, it wasn’t as if everything was fine between the four of them, as they could tell that Thea still seemed to harbor some reservations or the likes, since they had had the impression that she wanted to say something else until the moment they decided it was better if they went back to their own places. It was tough to get up from the comfortable rug and their embrace, then say long, warm goodbyes and go their separate ways after Byleth took them to the avenue, even if they knew they would see each other again the next morning.

And it would be a morning like no other before, because so many things had changed in such a short amount of time. Though the night itself would also be one to remember, as Byleth, Ingrid and Dorothea were each blessed by a short, heartfelt message from one Edelgard von Hresvelg or another.

_ “Thank you so much for accepting me as I am. It means more to me that you can imagine. Sleep well and I hope we can hang out some more tomorrow.” _

Then there was another thing which was fastly deleted before any of them could read it, and a final message that simply had a red heart on it.

* * *

“You flew through cleaning today. Pretty sure you didn’t even need me there.”

Ingrid huffed at that, turning around to look at a sleepy Rowan who had gone into her room and was lying on the bed. Their tests were pretty much over already and they had decided to take the evening out after chores and prayers were done for. 

What the blonde couldn't understand was why that meant Rowan had immediately gone to her bedroom and proceeded to laze on the bed while she sat down on the study table for a last minute review. 

"Is this how you wanna try getting off work?" Ingrid shot back, her eyes almost closing before she could register what the questions on the grammar in front of her were. It surely didn't help that it was all in Brigid, their language requirement for year three, but even so. 

"Nah, I'm just stating a fact." They shrugged and sat up instead, keen on doing a little bit of teasing if it meant Ingrid would relax. Also, was there anything better than seeing the foolish, warm smile on her face? "You’re just glowing today and I was wondering… Oh I know, Byleth, Dorothea and Edelgard kissed you at once, didn't they?"

The hiss that was Ingrid's usual response to being asked about those girls was followed by the sound of a pen falling from her hand and hitting the ground, which made them already start chuckling, something that they continued to do as their sister turned around with flushed cheeks and a shocked expression in her eyes.

"What are you even talking about?" Her shoulders were tense and eyes were set, but there was a light in the deep emerald hue that they were sure they had never seen before.

Yeah, it was definitely worth the teasing and the incoming threats of being hit. Once upon a very recent time, Ingrid had been sad and downcast, her gaze dull and uninterested in pretty much everything. It wasn't difficult to understand why, given the home life both of them had and how Rowan had gone through something similar as well.

Finding out who they were had changed their careless, almost nonchalant approach to life, especially when that discovery and self-affirmation had been backed up by Ingrid too. Yet the blonde had remained secretly forlorn no matter what happened, to the point that Rowan was worried that at some point the exterior facade of being ok would crack, to never be mended together for as long as they were in that house. 

So seeing her that happy, prone to blushing and laughing more and more at each passing day was a blessing, one that no praying done at the evenings could substitute, to the point that they knew that if they ever got to meet those girls, they'd hug the hell out of them.

"I'm talking about you being in love and how it shows. Ingrid has three girlfriends, Ingrid has three girlfriends," Rowan sang, then laughed even more when they were scowled at. Regardless, after a second of silence in which they were sure they'd be hit by a pen, a flip-flop or a chancla, which somehow didn't happen, they tapped the space on the bed and went on: "You've studied enough, drop that and come here. I wanna speak with you."

The blonde stopped trying to write something in broken Brigid and stared, then yawned and realized her brain really wouldn't cooperate with studying at that time of the day. She sighed, got to her feet and dragged herself to the mattress, pretty much sinking beside her sibling and waiting, swatting them away when all that happened was some staring. 

"Stop this," she said in a light tone, eventually turning away to face Rowan and smiling, even more so when she saw the excited look on their face. "What's up?"

Only to gasp in surprise when Rowan enveloped her in a tight hug while giggling as well. 

“I’m just really happy for you, that’s all,” they said upon letting her go. “You might not see it, but you’ve changed some these last few days and I’m really glad.”

Was everyone involved in some sort of mafia that had decided making her blush was their main goal in life? She had lost count of all the times her cheeks had burned like that and had never expected her sibling to also be able to do that to her.

“Hmpf, are you here to talk to me or to make me embarrassed? I never thought you would be one to get all mushy either, Row,” Ingrid countered, though the smile on her lips was hard to miss. She, too, had caught herself more at ease with some things at home as of recently.

“Nah but that’s always something fun to do. Also, you deserve the best so reminding you of it is the least I can do.” Rowan’s face remained smug for a second, until Ingrid hid her face between both hands and sighed. It wouldn’t do if they got her too flustered before they said what they needed to. “So anyways, remember I told you we’d talk about all the polynomials and polypeptides after we had some rest?”

“The poly what?” The blonde frowned, unsure of what her sibling was hinting at until Rowan rolled their eyes and shook their head, exasperated. “Oh the hm… polyamory thing, right.”

She still didn't know exactly how to feel about it, though it was clear for her and for pretty much the entire class that the issue had been in her mind even during classes and tests. Internally cringing at the memory of her little comment about peptides, she kept her face hidden for a few more seconds and finally dropped it, more than eager to hear what Rowan had to say about the entire matter.

In the end, if the light, good way she had been feeling after an afternoon spent with the girls was any indication, the possibility that she was polyamorous wasn’t that bad to begin with.

“So yeah, I did some research on the whole thing so I could actually help you and all. Though the fact that you’re amazing and valid and that I love you will always stand, no matter what,” they began, beaming when Ingrid took their hand. Those emerald eyes were focused then, way more than they had ever been while she had tried studying Brigidian. “Also honorable mention to a classmate who did a lecture on polyamory for our social studies class this week.

“There’s nothing wrong with loving more than one person and also, there are several types of relationship dynamics that you can explore within it. Like you don’t all have to hold hands, or if you do someone might hold other hands outside of your little club - polycule, it’s called. As long as everyone’s ok with it and well-aware of what’s happening, then you’re fine. So yeah uh, you need to get good at communicating and stuff, that’s really important.”

“Communication skills are a must, got it,” Ingrid nodded, trying to hold back tears at the thought that her little sibling had even researched it. Yes, she had done one too when they had realized they were non-binary, but even so. She was their oldest sister and it was just natural she’d do everything to make sure they were well and loved, right?

“And you know what’s the best? The Emperor was polyamorous too! He - my classmate - used that as his primary example of it. Isn’t that neat, Grid?” Rowan went on, as excited as they had been while talking about themselves and their new discoveries.

“Hm? Emperor?” The blonde was too dazed to actually make sense of what was going on right then, her heart singing in joy at having the support of one person, one that meant a lot to her.

Rowan sighed, thanking the heavens that Edelgard and the others seemed to be very patient people in order to be able to deal with their sister. “Yes, sis.  _ The _ Emperor. You have studied about her, right? And her partners?”

Some distant passage of a history book came back to her mind and she frowned, trying to recall what it was. “Oh! That’s something else, though, I don’t think it applies. Apparently the Empire demanded many heirs or the likes.”

Again, her little sibling shook their head at her and patted her leg even though they were the ones in need of soothing on that moment in time. “Ingrid, she had wives. As in, Empresses. I really don’t think this heirs thing was the reason why they got together to begin with. They just really loved each other a lot and it was really beautiful. Here, I have some stuff to show you on it.”

Ingrid’s eyes were wide in surprise as she registered all of that, her mind jumping from issue to issue and everything that it entailed. Something that became even stronger once Rowan took their phone from a pocket and let her see some documents and images they had been keeping in order to make their case. Inorder to make her feel better about herself if she ever needed it, too.

There were happy tears in Ingrid’s eyes while she roamed over love letters addressed to - and speaking of - not one love, but many people who were referred to as “our loves” or specific pet names. Journal entries depicted their lives together not only in the palace, but on the simple house by the mountains that they chose as their own later on. And also some pictures, paintings that had been made of the grandiose, imposing Emperor and her loves, all the women that were equally important, equally loving towards one another, standing tall, powerful and proud beside each other.

The fact that those things had deeply resonated within herself, making her feel seen and warm at the same time, plus the thought that some day she could have a… polycule as well, lulled Ingrid to sleep after Rowan was long gone, as she lay down and recalled everything that had happened in that afternoon with a beautiful smile on her face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okaaaay things are moving forward! We have the gaming secrecy out of the way and they're kinda ok with that too. Yes, it was a long kept secret but also justifiable in a sense, so they're happier to know about it than actually feeling bad that they didn't.
> 
> Now to the other talk they need to have and soon - tho Dorothea did have something to say during the afternoon, hmmmm. 
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed this! Thanks for reading and have a great weekend


	12. Co-op

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With exams being over, the girls have to decide how to better help Edelgard since their after school activities would resume. They find themselves wanting to spend more and more time together and manage to do so in any ways that they can, though messaging or some visits to a certain café.

Examination week being over was a bittersweet occasion. On one hand it was just amazing to be able to not have to go through revisions at evenings after a tiresome day, or spend nights awake while wondering over what the next piece of paper which would be placed in front of them would contain (luckily no more _poly_ peptides). On the other hand, however, it was sheer torture to simply do nothing and wait while tests were marked and grades were handed out.

On Friday they had handled their last exams on the last class of the day, the excitement so palpable that Ingrid simply jumped to her feet with what was possibly the beginning of a victory dance, only to turn it into a stretch and a yawn once some people giggled at her. Edelgard chuckled, placing a hand on her arm and mumbling a soft “congratulations” after the teacher retrieved her paper, then Byleth’s and Dorothea’s.

The entire room had erupted into conversations and cheers, students running outside as they longed for the freedom of not having to see a textbook or answer sheet for the next few weeks - at least until another battery of exams arrived to take away their peace once more. It got to the point that only the four girls remained there and after a quick agreement they had decided to go to Byleth’s house once more to end the week with some nice snacks, HreSports and each other’s company too. 

It had been one of the best, most carefree afternoons of their lives, though also a little bit sad since Byleth and Ingrid remembered they had volleyball practice to go back to on Monday, while Dorothea’s (almost unofficial) week off from work also ended on that day. It put them in a dilemma of what to do to help Edelgard, with Ingrid suggesting between bites of a double cheese sandwich that she should attend the sports club with them.

Byleth had been the first to shake her head at that, especially after her latest injury in PE because of the stupíd intro to gymnastics they were having and the lack of response from Rhea too; a sprain to her wrist to go with the one on her ankle. All because Ladislava had said she would hold Edelgard’s legs while she tried to do a cartwheel, completely deaf to the girl’s pleas that she should be benched for that class until the end of the semester.

In the end they had been lucky nothing worse happened, but only because Dorothea convinced the coach it was definitely _not_ a good idea to make her do a handstand - even if close to the wall and with the aid of three other people. 

And no, it certainly wasn’t a good idea either for her to go for an arabesque as an alternative practice, though in theory it would be easier with Dorothea holding her waist, Byleth supporting her hand like a bar and Ingrid helping with her leg extension, which was nonexistent after all.

It had been as hellish as they had expected it to be, even more so for Edelgard who had thought that maybe Ladislava would give her a break after the exam fiasco. Rather it was completely the other way around, with the coach paying even more attention to the girl and asking her to do more things than everyone else.

So of course it had meant that bandaging new wounds was the first thing they did on Friday afternoon, once they got to Byleth’s house at a slower pace than on Thursday. Instead of letting Edelgard go for the sports game herself and do more practice that could actually harm her, Ingrid and Byleth had decided to have a little competition between themselves while Edelgard and Dorothea watched from a vantage place on the couch, hugging and cheering them on.

They didn’t really find a solution as to how to help Edie now that their after school responsibilities would resume. In a point or another Edelgard said she would get the game herself, then have her sisters watch over her just in case some disaster occurred, which wasn’t that impossible to begin with. The three of them promptly refused it for some reason. Their last words before going home since Beleth would arrive some time soon and they didn’t want to impose or anything of the sorts, was that they would think it through and message each other later on.

That night, the group chat they had recently created changed its name from _“surviving Garreg Mach High”_ to _“war against PE - conference room”_. 

And yet the first message that was sent had absolutely nothing to do with PE, but one that warmed their hearts and made them excited for the next day. It was from Ingrid and asked what they thought about actually celebrating the end of exams by going to the Gaming Mug, get some nice desserts and play some cool games. The four of them had never gone there together and it would be a different way for them to get some food and nice games outside of Byleth’s place.

Yes, they could have gone to Dorothea’s house one more time, as they were sure that Manuela wouldn’t really mind, but there was something very nice about going to the mall as a group to spend the afternoon together like that. In a sense, though most of them didn’t really want to think about that, it was almost as if they were going on a date. 

So it was that Edelgard and Dorothea had met in the food court and found a place for themselve between the families and couples that were there for an early lunch before going to the movies or continuing their shopping. The girls ended up around the same table that the four had had ice cream at something like a month ago more by coincidence than anything else, and their eyes wandered to the water fountain behind them, the flow of people going into and outside of stores - especially the bookstore where they had acted silly as well. 

But more than anything their gazes were drawn to the front of the gaming store that had hosted the tournament a while ago, the place that had made Edelgard pretty much vow to help Ingrid study as if her life depended on it.

“Now I understand why you were so adamant about our dear Ingrid being part of the championship, though at the time you said you were not into games,” Dorothea commented, her hands brushing against Edelgard’s knuckles with a gentleness that was echoed in her words. “Thank you for helping with that, truly.”

“I-it was the least I could do,” she waved the matter away with her spare hand, trying her best not to blush at that simple contact and words as well. Yesterday she had gotten to learn at family dinner that Fiona started a "how many times can you make El blush in the day" contest - and the results hadn’t been good, especially when either her or Dana mentioned the girls. “Honestly, hearing about her father makes me want to…” 

“Fokken-style beat him into tiny pieces as many times as you can?” Dorothea completed once Edelgard faltered and simply gruntled in frustration. “Yeah, I know the drill. He wasn’t always like that but apparently he lost his job or something and became worse as Ingrid and Rowie grew up. Yeah, now he works with something else, but even so. Seems like he never got over being fired from that place.”

“Hpmf, that is no excuse to turn his children into his personal slaves. There is helping out at home and there is being forced to do everything and still need to keep up with school,” she sighed, shook her head. Whenever she thought too much about the matter it made her eyes sting - she wished there was something she could do, but nothing came to mind and Ingrid would often say that it was ok, that her having the intention to help was already great.

“Our Ingrid is really amazing, isn’t she?”

They turned with a smile once they recognized Byleth’s voice, welcoming her with nods and questions on how she was. It was always a delight to see each other without uniforms, especially Dorothea since she always made a point to impress with her clothes. On that day she was wearing a flowing red dress and flimsy black coat that hung on her shoulders more for style than for actual warmth. 

The same couldn’t really be said of Edelgard and Byleth, who were still fully clad in their Ashen Demon and Flame Emperor costumes, minus the masks.

“Aw, I was wondering if you two wouldn’t drop the act,” Thea complained, her voice only slightly miffed even though she found herself taken by an echo of what she had felt when they revealed their personas to her and Ingrid. “This would be really cool for drama class and the likes, but you really don’t have to hide with us, darlings.”

No matter how much she tried making light of the situation they both caught on to the underlying emotion and understood how that upset her in some way or another, since they both grimaced and glanced at the floor with something like guilt behind their eyes.

“I’m sorry, truly,” Edelgard spoke up first, tugging on her short black skirt as if it shouldn't be there. “And as grateful as I am that you don’t think I have cheated my way through matches and the likes, that won’t be true of everyone out there. So… this is still necessary if I wish to keep on playing without being harrassed like before.”

She thought they would laugh at her, undermine her reasoning behind it and probably ask her to go get something else to wear since they were in a mall and she more than likely had the money to buy a new outfit. That was why she gasped in surprise when two hands went to her shoulders and petted it, kneading the tense muscles the slightest.

“You’re really valid Edie, no worries about that,” Dorothea whispered, her face softening into a smile as gentle as her touch. “And it’s ok to fear that, no one should be bullied because of something like that. No one should be bullied, period.”

“Agreed and I’m sorry it happened to you, but also I hope you know we’ll be here to help and crush whoever says anything bad about you, so yeah,” Byleth added, fumbling with her green wig. At least they weren’t wearing the sunglasses or masks, so she could look into those fake red irises and still see a tinge of the lilac behind them. “And as for me well… I can’t really let people from Garreg Mach high recognize me and start talking that they saw me in the arcade. Principal Rhea actually listens to the rumor mill and that’d make my life even more miserable in family gatherings.”

They winced and nodded, with Edelgard covering Byleth’s hand on her shoulder and squeezing it. “I have never seen principal Rhea in my life, but I have heard what others say about her. So I’m sorry she also happens to be your grandmother and… again, thank you so much for talking to her about the PE matter.”

Those words were enough to make the frown on Byleth’s expression loosen up. The fact that the smaller girl no longer scowled or threw jabs at her every opportunity she had was still so new, her heart lurched in excitement whenever she heard something like a “thank you” or the sorts.

She really could get used to that, to the lingering stares that the four of them had started sharing more and more often and the way that made her smile for days, even when they were apart and By was just recalling that it had all really happened. That it hadn't been a dream or the likes.

“Heh, it’s nothing, really. That’s what a class president is for,” she waved the matter aside, then remembered she had brought a little something extra in her backpack and asked: “By the way, how’s your wrist? Are you in any pain today?”

Edelgard frowned and for a moment Byleth thought she still wasn’t ok with being treated like that by all of the girls - something about it looking like they were undermining her apparently, though the knee-jerk reaction of just hissing at them and saying she was fine was long gone. She tentatively touched her own wrist and moved it, wincing a little once small flashes of pain followed that, but in the end she shook her head.

“It’s nothing unbearable,” she answered, used as she was to getting hurt nowadays. “I will probably be ready to have new wounds on Monday as it is.”

“Aw, we’ll do our best to help with that, promise.”

Ingrid’s words were light, though there was a scowl on her face that seemed to betray some distress. It was unrelated to the situation, since she did her best to dispel it and beam instead, but there were still turbulent waters behind the emerald of her eyes when she took the empty seat beside Edelgard and deposited her backpack on the floor. 

“Hey dear, is everything ok?” Dorothea asked since they fell silent after that, taking a moment to scrutinize the newcomer and determine what was behind her stance, if there was something they could do to put her at ease.

“Yeah, it’s fine. Sorry I was late though, I got caught up with some stuff at home,” Ingrid answered, shrugging as if it was nothing.

The way her shoulders tensed and she grimaced the slightest before smiling revealed that there was a lot she wasn’t saying, but given those few words they could pretty much imagine what that was about. It made Byleth and Dorothea give her a reassuring beam, whereas Edelgard narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to say something, but the blonde beat her up to it.

“But yeah uh, do you think your wrists will be good enough for playing video games? You really shouldn’t overdo it and the likes.”

The smaller girl’s expression softened; she had dealt with her siblings’ antics for long enough to understand when one didn’t want to talk about their issues at all. Thus she nodded and took Ingrid’s hand in her spare one, a silent form of solace to whatever it was that had been plaguing her.

“It will be fine, Dana can always scold me and help with the inflammation later on. I don’t want to miss the opportunity to play with all of you, though,” she said in a light tone, then snickered when Ingrid took her wrist with both hands and analyzed it herself. 

Her touch was light as she moved it this way and the other, her gaze travelling from joint to Edelgard’s expression in order to gauge how she was feeling with those light pressures. In the end she put one hand under her chin in a thoughtful expression as if she were some sort of expert.

“Well miss, according to my very special, amazingly precise examination, the best treatment for your case is…” They were laughing due to her fake-professional tone, then beamed once Ingrid took the wrist to her lips and quickly pressed them to Edie’s pulse point. “A kiss to make it better.”

Both Ingrid and Edelgard blushed, their eyes turned to the ground while the blonde still held her forearm. The color on the smaller girl’s cheek intensified once Dorothea gently pried it away from Ingie and repeated the gesture, though she took longer with the peck and squeezed Edie’s hand once it was done. “Yeah, that’s always the best way to heal an injury, isn’t it?”

“And with a kiss from each of us, you’re completely clear to play games and will be fine afterwards too,” Byleth said, kissing the same spot as well and internally laughing at how crimson the smaller girl’s cheeks were.

Suffice it to say it took a little while for them to get up and go to the Gaming Mug as they were supposed to since Edelgard was way too embarrassed to even look them in the eye.

When they did, they were happy to see that the place wasn’t too crowded and only a few kids had taken over the slot machines, their parents either waiting downstairs or by the counter on the second floor, their eyes vacant or bored as adults sometimes looked in those times when they were cast aside in a sense. 

“Hm, we can get the console and play Fokken together if you want to,” Dorothea suggested, stiffly waving hello to her boss once they passed her by the stairs. “And kiddos usually tire of having to lean over the taller machines after a while, so we can always wait for it and play something else to pass the time.”

“Ohhhh we could try that one together.” Byleth pointed to an arcade that had a metal platform with colorful squares on it, one she had never attempted before because it would surely be funny for her to be bopping to a song or another while in full costume and alone.

With Edelgard beside her, both of them without their masks and sunglasses on (though the wigs were there and Byleth couldn’t help admiring the contrast of silver against the rest of El’s clothings) she felt a lot braver about doing just that and ready to dance while in costume for the first time in her life. It was just then that she realized how nice it was to have someone to play games with her.

Aside from the few occasions Beleth had indulged her or when Bernie came over and they played something for comfort, gaming had mostly been a lonely activity. to the point that she was actually brimming with energy at the thought and the sight of being at the arcade with others. She felt like a child again, but one that would be able to enjoy games without being shamed for it.

“That’s an arcade version of Dance Dance Resolution, isn’t it?” Edelgard queried, eyeing it with some sort of disdain. She had beta tested it for five minutes while back in Enbarr, her job ending when she fell off the platform in front of some of her siblings and a few guys from Hresvelg Co as well.

The reason why the machine was equipped with two side bars was because they had eventually realized that could happen, so one (usually named Fiona) could say that Edelgard’s greatest contribution to the gaming industry so far had been how those safety measures were added for her sake..

“Yeah, it looks fun! We can take turns on it while waiting for those kids to go home,” Dorothea said, then grinned at the uneasy look on the smaller girl’s face. “And don’t worry Edie, we can help and make sure you don’t injure yourself.”

“You’re in safe hands and also this could totally count as your PE practice for the day,” Ingrid added, already taking a step towards the machine and sliding one of her coins in. They wanted to argue against that, as she was the one with the least amount of tokens, but she went on speaking as soon as she saw that Byleth was frowning at her. “Oh, it has everything from L and F-pop to classical and even… religious songs?”

Edelgard shook her head and sighed, recalling who had been in charge of developing that game as Ingrid and Dorothea took their places in the huge platform that allowed for pairs to compete against each other. “You have father to blame for the pop and most recent songs, especially for the DLCs, but mother has always been one to place something hm… traditional in the games. It’s like a way to keep Fódlan culture and spirit alive, at least for her.”

“It’s an ok touch and gives variety as well, so why not,” Byleth uttered and took a seat beside Edie, hands on her chin as they watched Dorothea and Ingrid acing the steps and singing along to a L-pop song that had become famous last year. “And also damn, they’re really good.”

“They are beautif- I mean, amazing at it,” Edelgard corrected herself at the last possible moment, earning a snicker from Byleth and a Knowing glance as well. A knowing side glance that ignored all the kids who were staring at them as if they were something sacred or important, one that acknowledged that she and the other girl shared a great opinion about something amazing. About two amazing someones that luckily couldn’t hear them now, or else they would have been in some sort of trouble.

“Yeah they’re beautiful too, you’re right. But then, so are -”

“Oh, l- look at that triple punch that kid just pulled on F-Fokken!” Edelgard exclaimed a little bit too loud, tilting her body away from her companion so it would seem that she was watching someone else play on an arcade nearby. 

At least Byleth relented and they started talking about playstyles, their own and other people’s, without a tinge of criticism behind it. They described nuances while weighing pros and cons, wondering what they could incorporate on their own styles too. It was clear that they were enjoying themselves too much and had completely ignored the room around them when Dorothea and Ingrid had to physically tap them on the shoulders, calling their names in order to get their attention and tell them it was their time to shine.

As expected, once the music had been selected and the two stood over the metal platform, Byleth took Edelgard’s hand in order to aid her with balance and Ingrid kept a light hold on her other one, with Dorothea supporting her back with a gentle touch whenever she tumbled or almost tripped on her two feet.

They took turns dancing with and against Edelgard, one always replacing the other so that the girl would always have someone to grasp and lean on when and if it was necessary. They went on for as long as she could manage, then complimented her due to some more than visible improvements on stamina and even balance, as she hadn’t almost fallen too much if compared to the day in which they had started that practice.

Though Edelgard almost asked them to take that praises back once she overbalanced when stepping outside of the platforms, legs wobbly and unstable due to the workout, then pleaded for them to practice some Fokken instead since most of the arcades were empty and she was tired.

All in all it was an afternoon and early evening they would remember for a long time, one that was cut short when Edelgard received a message from Dana asking where she was since they would have a last-minute grand dinner in celebration of another game starting development soon - and another DLC for Fokken being made as well. Though she apologized and told the others to not stop the fun because of her having to leave, in the end everyone decided to head home after arguing that things weren’t the same if one of them was missing, a feeling they all shared and agreed upon when Dorothea uttered it behind a shy smile. 

They had promised to keep each other company through messages and maybe try logging on later for some Fokken as well - they had practiced a lot, despite Edelgard having to stop once in a while because of her wrists, and learned some from each other as well, something that made everyone happy and eager for more. 

It was this excitement and the promise for more, the sweet memories of the past few hours as well, that carried Edelgard through another dinner with her parents and pretty much the entire family present. Usually she would love the silence, the conversations in low voices that were such a contrast to how loud kids in her school were during break and lunch, the sense of closeness she got with every seat around the long rectangular table filled and the light topics of discussion as well.

However, for the first time in her life she was finding it all rather… dull. Yes, it had been nice to toast her parents, both Ionius and Anselma glowing with pride for what they had accomplished in that week while the siblings who had been involved in some step of the way also basked in that glory. The support between family members had always made Edie smile and feel warm inside, as it let her know there would be people for her to lean into no matter what she was going through or how life went on..

But then so many things had happened as of recent not only with her, but with the siblings as a whole since they had all moved to Garreg Mach, that it was as if she was no longer the Edelgard they had known before - or that she had become just another high schooler that they didn’t care about. The several wounds that had shown on her body hadn’t even been spoken about on the occasions in which the family had previously gathered. Sure, Eddie, Dana and Fiona had noted, but then they were the closest to her in age and the four had always been thick as thieves while growing up.

And yes, Edelgard knew that dinner was about her parents and the eldest siblings who had achieved something great in very little time, but somehow the candle lights and fancy dishes were actually making her antsy, unrooted. As if she would rather be with her friends, with people who knew and understood more about who she was than with her family, who had grown estranged to her after everyone had gone their own ways in the new city.

That was an unexpected reaction, one that made her jittery and disconnected from reality to the point that conversations involving her were dulled and those that had nothing to do with her whatsoever were hazier than a dream. She ate less than usual, her chest and stomach clamping shut due to those feelings and the sensation that she would never be contemplated in an environment such as that. 

That there were too many people before and beside her that were more important, more necessary than she was. More… 

She hated that the word which had come to her mind as she thought about how different she had become in these last few months was “normal”, something that she knew had zero to no meaning whatsoever by itself. There was no such a thing as normal and everyone’s experiences, life paths and the likes were valid one way or the other, as she had learned herself from all the bullying she had gotten back at school. 

And yet… and yet her thoughts would have probably gone on like that, ungrounded and uncertain, longing for the comfort of her room and her mobile so she could talk to those who mattered the most, if Edmund hadn’t interrupted what seemed like an endless litany from Beatrice on the importance of proper conduct within a business meeting by raising his hand.

Somehow that act was very distinct from the ways things were done whenever the entire family was assembled for a meal like that. Usually they simply waited for the previous subject to die out before jumping into a new one - interruptions such as these were not only considered rude or unwelcome, but completely unheard of. However, the gesture alone was enough to center Edelgard and make her wake up from that stupor as her eyes took in her brother’s demeanor for the first time in the entire night.

His cheeks were pale and gaunt, there were dark circles under his eyes which weren’t the usual warm, kind grey that Edie was used to, but closed off and on edge, as if he were scared of something but had to face it in any case. That feeling was almost a mirror of her own in some sense or another, even though she had no idea what words had been clogging her throat and mind to begin with.

And when his voice cut through any protest that Anselma was about to begin in order to remind him of his table manners, everything was overcome by a silence that wasn’t comforting or soothing, but shocked and unsure.

“I am in love with a guy,” he announced, which was at first received by smiles and gentle stares since everyone had always known Eddie was into boys and it was just a matter of him finding someone he loved. The real and complete astonishment came one second later, when he held up a palm for them to stop and added: “No, that is wrong and I promised that… I would be true to myself and my feelings from now on. I am in love with two guys and they are both my boyfriends.”

Everyone’s eyes were upon Edmund then, devoid of the previous warmth that had been in their gazes when that sentence had been said. Apart from Edelgard, Dana and Fiona, there was nothing to the supportive atmosphere the older Hresvelgs liked to say they endorsed by making dinners a grand occasion such as that. Rather, their expressions were either stern, unsure or judging, disbelief plain to see in their eyes.

That, when coupled with the fact there was no response, made Edmund’s face fall after a while spent like that. His eyes travelled back to the empty plate in front of him, one that had barely been touched at all through the night - Edelgard thought she knew the reason behind that as well, but would rather not assume in any case.

It wasn’t as if her heart had squeezed inside her chest in recognition, some sort of empathy that hit too close to home and she had no way to explain. Yet rage did rise in her chest at everything that was happening, even more so when Eddie excused himself and left before she could reach out for him and offer some sort of comfort in one way or another, his gaze as distant and ungrounded as if he had never been there to begin with.

She flinched at that, her eyes widening at his withdrawal and how that hadn’t made anyone from her family move a muscle in order to help him. Her hands balled into fists and she stared straight ahead at the empty wall that was the only thing which managed to keep her from exploding and causing a scene. Eating wasn’t even in her mind anymore, though the others around her both partook from the amazing dishes or offered them to her in an attempt to have her eat something too. 

All of those efforts were denied and any conversation that could involve her fell on deaf ears as well. She became a statue of sorts, frozen, far away from the manor and the world as a whole, though she was the first to rise after her parents did, her ears only registering blood pulsing through her blood vessels instead of the words that had recently been said or the way some of her siblings called out to her in worry.

Lost in such a state, she barely registered it when someone took her arm and gently pried her away from the automatic path she had taken towards her room as soon as she had climbed the stairs and ended in the corridor. Nor did she see it once she was softly placed into chambers that weren’t her own and made to sit down as well, though her eyes did come to focus as soon as she was embraced, the gesture gentle and nice after what felt like such an awful evening. 

“El? Honey, is everything ok?” Dana’s familiar voice called over and over until she stirred and embraced her sister, realizing just then that there was a hand weaving itself on her hair as well. 

“Hey there, sleepwalker,” Fiona said in a sweet tone, flinching when Dana shot her a dirty glare. “I mean hm… what happened back there?”

Edelgard needed a moment to gather herself, to give in to the hug and reciprocate it too. She didn’t know what to say, what was expected of her right then since she had zero to no recollection as to why they were treating her like that - or what had caused her to get into such a state to begin with. The last thing she remembered was bidding the girls goodbye with kisses on the cheek and some words of encouragement to a distressed Ingrid, who had seemed completely unwilling to return home after an afternoon having fun with different games. 

And her heart… her heart had beat at triple speed whenever either and all of them had spared her a glance, a touch, a nice word, hadn’t it? It had fluttered with a notion that she had yet to acknowledge, one that had also protested upon seeing her brother being pretty much ignored after speaking his truth.

“I… don’t know,“ Edelgard spoke at last, her voice thin and flimsy. She yelped a second later when Dana hugged her a little too strongly and one of her arms was right over a new bump on her ribs. Courtesy of her hitting it on the pommel horse when Ladsialva had asked her to jump on it.

“Sorry, sorry.” The woman placed some distance between them and looked down at her sister, finding her eyes too vacant to her liking. She pushed some strands of brown hair away from her face and whispered: “El, I have asked you this before, but are you being bullied? Like physically so?”

“Physical Education is a bully, Dana,” she shrugged, feeling uncomfortable and somewhat vulnerable in that position. How pitiful was it that her little sister was also massaging her shoulders? She should be the one helping Fiona, not the other way around. “I have failed the first test, but the coach said I would have a second chance next month. Those girls are helping me practice, though it’s still miserable. I’m just not made for sports.”

“You failed PE?” Fiona exclaimed as if it was the funniest thing in the world, only to grimace once again when Dana shot her a warning look. “What? It’s the first I’ve heard of it. But hmmm, those girls? Dorothea and Ingrid?”

“And Byleth. She’s trying to make the principal see I should be excused from practical tests and lessons altogether, but let’s see how that goes.” She smiled while talking about them, while recalling all the amazing things they had already done for her. How she felt supported, embraced, seen and accepted as she was by people who were outside of her family.

The second she remembered how that was the complete opposite of what she had witnessed at dinner, however, she frowned and glanced away, cheeks burning and mind running with thoughts she couldn’t really comprehend. Thoughts that were new and scary, that related as much to Eddie as they were about her too, but at least that was only a supposition.

Dana caught the shift in her mood and the light that had briefly colored her voice while she talked about those people who were helping her. It was impossible not to beam and say, hoping the topic would help easing Edelgard’s mind: “Go on, little sis. Tell us more about them.”

Both she and Fiona had to stop themselves from laughing as all the worry and sense of loss that had taken over their El gradually disappeared, the more she talked about how things had been between her and the other girls for the last few days. By the end of it her eyes were shining and they were sitting side by side on Dana’s bed, Edelgard’s feet dangling from it and swinging back and forth, a sign of relaxation.

Something that was great to see after her strange reaction to the matter at dinner; but then, after hearing the way she spoke about the girls who walked with her in that new school, Fiona and Dana could better understand what had caused her to shut down like that. They just wished they didn’t have to point it out, but given how lost she had looked before, well… 

That was what siblings were for, wasn’t it? That, and making all the best jokes about each other too. It was all part of the same package.

“I’m sorry to intrude in your matters and all, but have you considered that you… hm… might not really like them as friends?” Fiona started, unsure of how to phrase it. She knew it would be better if they could just guide her to the conclusion instead of outright suggesting it, but even so.

“Hm? I do love them a lot, they are very special and dear to me. Sure, that might not have been true of Byleth until recently, though -” El frowned, blushing once more, as lost with the question as she had been with her own emotions before. 

“What Fiona here means, and as we both know she has lost all the school debate competitions for a reason, is that there might be a chance you… _like them_ … as more than just friends, El,” Dana corrected, hoping that was all the prompting they would need.

Edelgard’s legs stopped moving, her eyes widening in a mixture of shock and wonder at what had been said. Her sister couldn’t really be implying that she…

“But that’s impossible.” She shook her head, adamant. “I can’t… there is no way for me to…” Love had always been a foreign concept to her - she had a feeling it might not be something she would ever experience given how everyone else around her had already done so and it hadn’t happened to her yet.

Yes, she was sure she would sound very dramatic if she voiced those thoughts, but at seventeen she was convinced she was incapable of actually feeling that much for someone else since it hadn’t occurred before. Since she had spent years watching others kiss and proclaim their love to the four winds, while no one had even glanced at her like that to begin with.

She had had some crushes here and there, especially on girls that were gentle and at least seemed to care a little about her back in Enbarr. Usually they were cut short since those same people would start laughing at her a few weeks or days later, calling her naive for believing that someone would like her, which had ultimately caused her to shut herself even more.

To have even the distinct possibility that she was being stupid once more and developing feelings for not one, but three people that could ultimately turn their backs on her was a scary, unsettling thought. Her heart couldn’t be that dumb, could it? 

“Love more than one person at the same time?” Dana beamed, caressing her shoulder. “Unfortunately it’s not talked about as much as it should, but -”

“N- no, there is nothing wrong with that. Also, I wonder how Eddie is doing, you shouldn’t be bothering with me when he must be completely upset with how that subject was treated. We should be happy that he has found not one, but two people that love and cherish him as he deserves to be,” Edelgard said in a rush, eager to no longer be the center of that discussion.

Eager to address another pressing issue, far more pressing than the fact that yes, it did seem like her heart was dumb enough. That it had started nurturing something more for not one, but three girls that had meant the world to her as of recent. That she had started thinking about more and more often, wondering how they were doing and if they needed something as well. 

Sometimes she also wondered what it might be like to kiss them not on the cheeks as they had started doing more and more recently, but on the lips too. And to hold them close, caressing and whispering sweet nothings to them only to see them blush under praise or encouragement.

The red on her cheeks and the way she hid her face behind her hands while Dana called her out for trying to change the subject was all that they needed to realize that their assumptions had been correct.

“You seem to be ok with Eddie having two boyfriends,” Fiona put in, her voice as kind as possible at that moment even though she wanted to curse her sister for being so dense at times. She’d do that later, she decided. When the four of them were together and El brought them home for a visit or something. “But why does it seem like it’s a big deal if you’re polyamorous as well?”

“Poly… Polywhat?!” Edelgard had never heard the word before; her mind hadn’t needed a name to understand and respect how her brother loved. Did that say something about her? 

And why had she recalled Ingrid’s little sentence about polypeptides being peptides holding hands all of a sudden?

Unless…

“Polyamorous, El,” Dana couldn’t keep a chuckle away from her voice even though it made her little sister wince. She made up for it by squeezing her hand, a small gesture that seemed to soothe her. “When a heart is so wonderful and kind, it can love more than one person at the same time, without seeing one as less than the other.”

“You should look it up if you feel like it, it’s pretty neat,” Fiona added in a conversational tone, wishing she knew why Edelgard had looked so serious for one moment as well. “Though I wonder if Eddie knows about it too, hm… Guess the E-lettered siblings were blessed with this capacity to love many.”

Edelgard wanted to argue, that in fact her case was pretty much the opposite. That there was a chance she was unlovable, that she herself couldn’t love too. Yet she had grown up with Fiona and Dana around, so she knew that the excited, encouraging looks on their faces meant they wouldn’t really listen to her - if nothing, the moment she uttered something like that they would either laugh, slap her on the back or both before telling her how absurd she was being. 

And they did have another sibling to talk to anyways, so the last thing she wanted was to be the center of attention for much longer. In the end she just shook her head and chuckled at that statement, though she was far from being soothed and now had more, new doubts in her mind than ever. Even so she got to her feet, thanked them both and asked if they were ok with talking to Edmund as well.

In her book no one deserved to suffer for being who they were, for feeling the way they felt, for loving the way they loved. And seeing the shock and disbelief in some of their older sibling’s faces, as well as the dejection on Eddie’s eyes, had made her more furious than anything - maybe even more furious than when Bylth had “insulted” her.

They walked out of Dana’s room with soft smiles on their faces, unsure if Edmund would even want to speak to anyone to begin with. The first thing they did when the door opened and they were let in was hug and congratulate him for being brave, for finding love and standing up for it after all.

* * *

Sunday was an interesting, strange time to all of them, as they had grown so close in the space of a week that it felt weird to be apart even if only for one day. As a result they took to messaging as much as they could, praising Ingrid to high heavens while she was in church (only to get a dozen of nervous replies in all caps after services were over and even some audio once she was back home from lunch), then moved on to compliment Byleth and Edelgard when they went for some online matches on Fokken during the afternoon, which they were able to spectate and take part of sometimes. 

Once Dorothea sent them audio footage of her singing sessions with Manuela, as the two kept a habit of running through some songs together ever since the woman adopted her and realized that she had an amazing voice and loved to sing, the chat erupted with adoration, heart emojis and messages in all caps to express their awe as well. Although they had known that Manuela taught singing lessons and had coached Thea from an early age, it was the first time they had actually heard her sing.

Unknown to them, all that yelling and especially Edie’s message of _“you should make a habit out of this and send us more audios ;)”_ made Dorothea blush more than Edelgard and Ingrid combined when they were flustered. 

Monday couldn’t arrive any sooner and when it did, they went to school with smiles on their faces, sending messages back and forth while on their way there and trying their best to calm down Ingrid since she was pretty sure they were about to get some of their tests back and be sad about it. They made Edelgard laugh so much she almost lost her bus stop with promises that Hanneman was a slow marker and would rather write a manifesto about the amazingness of math than actually get stuff corrected that fast.

That, and their impromptu idea of getting something to eat or drink together before classes started made their morning a very pleasant and relaxing one, an effect of being in each other’s company no matter where they were or what they were about to do.

Sure, they had to content themselves with cheap, watery coffee from a stand near school since they wouldn’t brave the caf-ew-teria even for that, but being together and walking side by side, their hands occasionally brushing due to them being that close, was half the excitement and all the fun they wanted to have.

They were so wrapped in their little bubble that they failed to notice how they were stared at with curious, interested or judging stares once they arrived together in the classroom, laughing at some joke that Byleth had just made on her brother’s expense and the fact that he had managed to walk off the stadium by himself the first time he had played Fokken - and that had earned him the nickname Be-gone as well. Not that they actually should bother, what with how some of their classmates would love spreading gossip and stupid rumors about them, but sometimes it did feel as if someone or someones were burning holes on their backs.

Again, they had better things to think about than that, especially the fact that they were having a great time together, the four of them. That Edelgard was thanking Byleth for little things such as telling her to watch her step and offering little snacks, like the chocolate cupcakes she had given to the other three as soon as they met (cupcakes that Beleth had been forced into getting once Byleth mentioned surprising the girls she loved. Given how things were going amazingly between him, Jeritza and Edmund, he had felt charitable enough to help her out and get two cupcakes for her as well).

They were sharing smiles, laughs and stories about themselves, with Byleth telling them some things that even Dorothea and Ingrid had never heard about. To the point that they were tempted to continue their conversation by passing notes once professor Hanneman arrived, but Hilda had been caught doing that too many times and in each of them she had to read them out loud as well, something that they didn’t want to risk after all. 

So that had to go on during break, after all the teachers had informed them that no, they hadn’t finished (and some hadn’t even started) their markings with a shrug and started new content that none of the exhausted students were interested in learning. Yet learn they did, with Ingrid crying at the notion of logarithmic functions after the hell she had been through with polynomials - and Dorothea making a comment on how there was no poly in logarithms and they weren’t fun at all.

“Are you telling me you’ve never really done any charity work after school?” Dorothea asked as they lazied on the bench they had pretty much claimed for themselves in the courtyard, her head in Edelgard’s shoulder as she ran a hand through Ingrid’s hair, since the blonde was lying on her lap.

“... not since sixth grade,” Byleth confessed, somewhat ashamed that she had used all of those excuses only to go home, play video games and have all those snacks by herself. “It was a way for us to socialize since most of the time we stayed indoors, with Beleth studying and so on.”

“I’m sorry for all the hard time you had with your family because of that,” Thea went on, placing her spare hand on Byleth’s and caressing it. The girl was sitting on her other side and they were sharing chips, though Byleth was getting the most out of that family-sized bag. “But you could have told us about it, really. We wouldn't love you less because of it - we don't love you less because of it."

“We will if you don’t hand over those chips though,” Ingird chimed, making them all chuckle. Her legs were over Edelgard’s lap and she was trying her best not to blush whenever the smaller girl’s hands ran over her knees. It was too good to be that close together, but it still took her aback when she thought about how things had gotten to that point. 

Or how much better such things could get if they all felt the same, but for her sake Ingrid preferred not to think about that. Not until she could be sure that was even a possibility for her to explore. 

“I know you’re not the happiest about it and you’re valid for that,” Byleth whispered as she turned to face Dorothea, her expression contrite. “And I’m really sorry I let the lies get that big, you deserved better from the beginning, but -”

“I understand, dear. Sometimes we hide our feelings and who we really are because we fear how others will treat these most intimate aspects of ourselves.” She knew. Oh, she really knew what it was like to do so. If nothing, even her being mad at Byleth and Edie for not telling about the gaming stuff was mostly her being angry at herself for doing the same. And yes, she had already vowed that she, too, wouldn’t be hiding for much longer. “So it’s ok and this is more about me than any of you so don’t worry.”

Her wink and beam did nothing to dispel their concerns about what she meant with those words, what Dorothea tended to keep under lock and key like that. It was harder to read her than Ingrid or Edelgard to an extent, but anyways. In the end they wanted to help her in any possible way, even if they didn’t know exactly what she was going through.

“We are here if you want to talk,” El weaved her fingers through Thea’s hair and caressed her scalp, earning a yelp of surprise from the taller girl. The act kind of surprised her as well - she couldn’t remember when, but suddenly touching each and all of them had become a lot easier than before.

She chose to pretend that her extensive research on polyamory wasn’t a reason for that, and that she had mostly been doing it because of Eddie, though Dana, Fiona and him certainly knew better.

“Aw that’s sweet of you, Edie,” Dorothea hugged her waist for a brief second before going back to petting Ingrid, then stealing the bag of chips from her. “Not now, but maybe soon I’d… really like to talk to you about this. Once we’re more relaxed and get our exams back. I don’t- don’t want to put any more stress on you, is all.”

The other three nodded and watched the sky, the beautiful blue that was framed by small white clouds which danced in the wind, forming different patterns as they went by. Kids screamed and giggled around them, playing together and enjoying some time away from the classroom. It was starting to get a bit more chilly as well, with both Edelgard and Dorothea completely glad for them being that close since it was already too cold for the former and the latter had forgotten her coat at home. 

And that shared warmth, their knowing looks, carefree jokes and laughs that also evolved into after school plans made their hearts soar, reassured as they were that there was something more than just friendship between them.

That spending time in the Gaming Mug to make Dorothea company while they did homework was the best idea ever, not only since it would allow for them to help Edie on the PE training by using their motion games, or grab some amazing snack from the café and get work done in a different place than their houses, but it would mean more time spent together as well.

In a way, just knowing about it was enough to make things a lot easier on them. PE wasn't as much of a boring, awful experience when Byleth and Ingrid held Edelgard's hands once Ladislava made her try the trampoline even though that looked a little… life threatening to her. Dorothea had helped in warmup by stealing her black eagles bracelet and running around the court so Edie would have to chase her as well - the fact that she only had one new injury after class since she tried getting out of the trampoline by herself was an improvement per se. 

There was a group discussion thing on History class and the four were eager to get together for it, with Byleth and Edelgard presenting their points about the Imperial succession and how it had affected Fódlan as a whole when the teacher made the groups tell the class what they had talked about. And once El was about to make a mistake while answering a physics equation on the board, Byleth shook her head after getting her attention and mouthed "third line" so she could review it and make the necessary adjustments.

School could be fun, some of them found out on that day and the many others to come. And not because one was being a perfect student and impressing everyone else with how much they knew, certain someones discovered as well.

On that nondescript Thursday Edelgard and Dorothea left the school together while Byleth and Ingrid went to the court for their volleyball practice. They hugged and whispered "see you soon" as always, since they would indeed meet a few hours later at the café - almost at the same time that Dorothea would be allowed upstairs to watch over the kids.

Nowadays "the kids" also included the girls that were consistently going there, making her smile every time while she made sure the three didn't get into any trouble. 

And what was best, at least if Dorothea was asked about it? Neither Byleth nor Edie had been wearing their costumes while going there for the last few days.

Edelgard settled on a table next to the counter and took out her homework after ordering her usual, bergamot tea and a slice of the cake that had been done on that day. Yet as always she grabbed her own stuff before sitting down, refusing to let Dorothea serve her and leaving small things such as candy and a few coins on Thea's bag when she wasn't looking. 

"What are you working on first?" Thea inquired after shaking her head at the sight of an empty tray over the counter and Edelgard already enjoying her treat. They had gotten a considerable amount of homework to do in one day as well as their test results back from physics - to say the entire class had been disappointed and only a select few had gotten passing grades was an understatement.

That did mean that both Dorothea and Ingrid had gotten a little disappointed with their results, but at least Edelgard and Byleth had volunteered to help. They had also heard that usually second tests were easier than firsts so there was that too.

"Those stupid worksheets that Tomás gave us. I want to get them done before Ingrid arrives, so I can have a better idea of where to steer the discussion once everyone's here. With Byleth's help we'll be able to get this done in no time," Edie explained, frowning as she looked at the first question and came with a bit of a blank on how to solve it for a few moments.

"That sounds good, yeah. Not that I'm one to speak when physics is involved, but let me know if you need any insights. Even if it's only to say that the polynomials are nomials that are poly and hold hands," Dorothea said absentmindedly, then stopped and stared once Edelgard's eyes widened, her cheeks paling a second later.

Did she know? Did Dorothea know about her latest conversations with her siblings and her thoughts about the whole matter? She knew that was ridiculous and impossible, that her mind was being awful when a second later, it conjured an image of Dorothea laughing at her, casting her aside for even thinking about it, about her. About them, hugging and holding hands like that and not because they were close friends.

It took a few minutes in which Dorothea was busy getting orders and payment for Edelgard to actually relax, her eyes focusing on the piece of paper in front of her and noticing that she had started answering the questions on autopilot. Luckily her solutions were correct, but even checking for that didn't distract her, didn't stop her from wondering about the meaning of those words. 

Only to remember, a heartbeat later, that it surely wasn't the first time Dorothea had said something about it. And she would be damned if that was going to be the last. Which meant…

No, it meant nothing. It would be wrong of her to make assumptions about someone else without proof, without them blatantly stating something about it at the very least. And given how she wasn't even sure about herself at that point in time, it would be awful for her to put a label on Ingrid, on Dorothea, on any of them really. 

So in the end she shook her head, glanced away from the girl and the clients she was serving and did her best to pay attention first to the sheet, then to the extra exercises from the workbook they had been told to solve. Something that was way easier to do once Ingrid and Byleth arrived and she had to focus on teaching and explaining, making sure the blonde wasn't freaking out about her marks and how her father would kill her for failing physics even though she almost aced maths.

And as hours progressed, they moved with Dorothea to the second floor and changed physics to Edelgard's PE training until Thea's shift was over and night fell outside, a sliver of the dark sky visible through the windows, behind the arcade machines they loved so much. It had been a good day, with them trying to placate and distract one another from their marks and other things that were worrying them as it was. 

Maybe because of this, because of the closeness and the solace they had found with one another, plus the fact that at least for Ingrid going home was not something that she was looking forward to, they decided to go to Byleth's place instead to have a few more moments together. Enough so they could placate the blonde and make her rest more at ease, enough so they could laugh some more and enjoy each other's company.

Also Byleth's house wasn't too far from Ingrid's, so there was that too. Or at least so they told one another while walking there, holding hands on the dark, cold night with stars that watched over them and a moon that smiled as they meandered, laughed and relaxed more and more into each other's presence.

Despite the hour Beleth was nowhere to be seen and they were greeted by an empty house, one that was soon filled with their giggles while they remembered their moments in the arcade, how Edie had almost fallen because she turned to look at Dorothea and Ingrid working on the physics things when she and Byleth were competing on Dance Dance Resolution.

How Ingrid had started writing over the table instead of the notebook because she turned to watch Edelgard and Byleth dance and Dorothea almost dropped her cup of water the moment she did the same. And how Byleth sometimes stuttered or glanced away if she was complimenting them, or had almost walked into the wall instead of a door once she looked at the three girls together, laughing at some joke that Dorothea had done about physics.

They automatically plopped down in front of the TV and console even though they hadn't been there for a week or so, sighing in a mixture of relief and relaxation. Yet it still felt natural for them to do that, to lean against the couch and just chill for a second or two with Ingrid between Byleth and Edelgard, Dorothea sitting in front of them with crossed legs and a mischievous smile on her lips.

She had seen and heard many things she liked through the afternoon, little shifts to their dynamics that had made her heart sing. One of them was the fact that they had been throwing jabs at each other all day. They had been nothing more than silly, stupid comments like "I bet you can't do spicy food" or "you can't swim because the pool is too deep for you" (though that one had been specifically aimed at a certain someone). More than just her wishing that could go on, she really wanted to test that out one little rumor that had stood out from the rest, now that they were together in a less public place too.

"So Edie," she began, her tone conspiratorial. "Byleth told me you're so ticklish you shied away from her once she touched your knee by mistake."

That was a lie, as she had actually seen that happen instead of heart it, but that was neither here nor there. Especially since Byleth just shook her head and chuckled at it, neither denying nor contributing to the issue. 

"Oh she did say that, did she?" Edelgard retorted, shooting By an accusative state. "You know what the funny thing is? Byleth told me you can't stand them at all, that you laugh at the mere idea of being tickled."

Dorothea giggled at how good that was going, though that was misinterpreted as her confirming Edie's claim and they had a good laugh at it.

"Well, By has been spreading some lies, I see. Or maybe she just knows? But in any case Edie, if you want some leverage… Ingrid told me that Byleth is so ticklish she almost got punched once she simply held her hands."

"What? I never said -"

Before that could be broken and they had to steer their conversation towards something else, Byleth fell into Ingrid's chest and started tickling her, going straight for specific points like the inside of her arms and knees, actually managing to make her laugh as it was. The others joined her in a heartbeat, watching with delight as a previously downcast Ingrid smiled and giggled so much there were almost tears in her eyes. It was good to see her like that, even though she protested and asked for them to stop, that three on one was completely unfair as it was. 

Though she totally ceased complaining when Dorothea managed to pin Edelgard to the floor and the tables were completely turned. The smaller girl giggled and chuckled even easier than Ingrid had, the others matching her laughter in that moment that was all theirs, a testament to the happiness they had created in the last week or so. In all that they had gone through together already as well. 

They wished it could never stop and nothing else from the outside world could break that merriment, the sweet laughs they heard and gave in that melody that filled the house, that uplifted their spirits due to how simple, how wholesome it was.

But the world had other plans or so it seemed. Once another sound, another set of voices, invaded their haven and felt dissonant to their own, they froze in mid motion and turned to the door, Edelgard's cheeks coloring like crazy once she recognized one of the voices that had spoken before.

"El?!" Edmund exclaimed as he saw his sister underneath three other girls, her once happy face falling into something surprised and scared.

Beleth and a tall, blond guy that were standing beside him looked away from the scene at the living room, unsure of what to say and what to do about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally Edelgard has the polyamory talk as well xD it felt weird to put it before her issues with Byleth were somewhat solved, even if she had felt something for the three of them already.  
> But with that we *might* be a bit closer to them being together as a polycule, right? Edmund at least scored big with the boys lol 
> 
> Thank you for reading and have a great weekend!


	13. To the victor go the spoils

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Dorothea notices how tense Ingrid is about returning home, she comes up with a plan to help her and all of them as well.
> 
> Words are said and the four girls work through those revelations as best as they can.

Edelgard’s heart fluttered inside her chest, a cold sensation humming through her body and making her unable to move a muscle even though the one thing she wanted was to get out of that tickle pile before that moment got more awkward than it already was.

Her brother’s eyes bore into her and he too was immobile, his expression surprised and devoid of any other feeling instead of that. There was no reaction on his face when Beleth and Jeritza called his name, in the same way that Edelgard remained impassive while Byleth, Dorothea and Ingrid tried shaking her out of it, her cheeks burning due to being caught in such a position. 

The Eisner twins shared a glance, unsure of what to do to help in that situation or what was happening there to begin with. So they waited, watched, counted seconds in their heads and their own heartbeats while standing as still as possible, a hand on the Hresvelgs that were simply frozen in place.

It was Dorothea who realized they would get nowhere if that persisted and shifted away from Edie’s legs, as she had been the one pinning the smaller girl down. She gave the three guys the widest smile she could and tried pretending there was nothing wrong at all in that whole scenario. 

Though she too would be more embarrassed than she would care to admit if someone like Manuela were ever to catch her in the position that Edelgard or her brother were in.

“Oh hey there! We didn’t want to interrupt or be here for too long. Guess we didn’t notice the time, is all,” she said, relaxing herself when she felt more than saw Edelgard’s shoulders loosening up under her hand. “So your siblings know each other? That’s really amazing isn’t it? What a small world.”

“Y- yeah, really small,” Beleth mumbled, glancing down at the floor and sighing in relief once Edmund shook his head and looked away from the girls, started shifting his weight from foot to foot instead. “You’re uh, welcome to stay for dinner but then it’s better if we order something -”

“Oh no, I - I appreciate the hospitality but perhaps it would be better if I returned home,” Edelgard stuttered, her words way more formal than the three other girls could even remember them being. She moved to get up but needed Ingrid and Dorothea’s support so she could manage that without stumbling and making more of a mess in front of Edmund.

“Oof yeah, I have to go too, father will be pissed that I’m still out, haha,” Ingrid followed suit and stood up in a fluid motion after glancing at Byleth’s wristwatch, trying to hide how panicked she was at the time.

And at the fact that she would more than likely be scolded not only for failing physics just like almost the entire class, but for not being home before everyone else so she and her siblings could start cleaning. Recently his demands had gotten even worse and he was prone to complain about every little thing, to the point that she didn’t really care at all about following more orders.

The man was becoming more and more insufferable as the days went by, though no explanation was given as to the why, and more often than not she had caught the faint glimmer of tears behind Rowan’s eyes whenever harsh words were sent their way. It caused her to experience a mixture of anger directed at their father and hatred aimed at herself for her inability to protect the sibling she loved so much, to offer them a safer space to be themselves, the teen they deserved to be.

Somehow her face reflected everything that had passed through her mind in the few seconds that it took for her to get up and take a few steps away from them, reality setting in and breaking through the cozy daydream the girls she adored had created for her in those few hours of respite. Edelgard approached her and enveloped her in a hug, for one second making her believe that things could be good, reminding her of all they had shared.

Reminding her that family, especially when it functioned like hers, should be ignored and not taken as seriously as most people seemed to believe it should. 

The sentiment was strengthened when Edie caressed her back, no longer caring that her brother was watching it, beaming when Byleth and Dorothea also rose and enveloped them in a big hug. 

“Can you message me when you arrive and if something happens? We can always voice chat if you want to, don’t be shy about asking. Ok?” The smaller girl whispered, then pulled away after planting a peck on her cheek.

“Yeah, our Ingrid, we’re here for you,” Dorothea added and placed a kiss on the other cheek as well. “Whatever happens, you can count on us.”

“And if something does happen, then we can always go there and make sure he understands that’s not the right way to treat his children,” Byleth hit her open palm with her fist, uncaring that the boys had yet to move and that Edmund in particular was still staring at them with wide eyes. Her gesture made everyone laugh, so in her book that was more than worth it. “And yeah, please message us all when you get home. Livehoot it if your parents are being awful too, we’ll listen to you no matter what.”

Whatever bad feeling had taken root in Ingrid’s mind and heart was dispelled by those words, by the care and attention she got not only then, but whenever they were together and it seemed like the world was nothing else important. 

That nothing else mattered, except for the fact that they were together. 

It was bittersweet when they let go and she was the first to walk to the door, followed by Dorothea after she whispered something to Byleth and finally Edelgard, who had slowly stepped closer to her brother and muttered, “you are safe with me and we can talk later, ok?” before joining them.

And even though they made each other company until they reached the main avenue, where they parted with extra hugs and words of encouragement for Ingrid, the blonde still felt somewhat empty and sad the second their hands left her back and her arms, the lingering impression of the small kisses they pressed on her cheeks something she hoped would carry her through what she knew would be another night of chores and accusations thrown her way.

If the messages she got from Rowan on her phone were enough of a preview, which she checked on her way back home while on the bus, she would have a lot to look forward to without including the scolding she would take from failing physics, something she couldn’t lie her way out of since her parents always checked grades and the likes on Garreg Mach high’s website portal.

And what with her recent habit of arriving late at home, almost at the same time that her parents and Rowan were… The “volleyball practices are taking longer because we’re getting ready for tourneys” excuse wouldn’t hold forever, especially since there weren’t any tournaments so far and soon one or both of her parents would catch up on it. Plus, it wasn’t fair for Rowan to get the bulk of the cleaning right away in any case. 

But being with her friends had given her a sense of security, of belonging that she didn’t think she needed, didn’t realize she had been missing to begin with. But perhaps she should have noticed it was the case a bit earlier because of how crazy her family situation was. She just hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with too many consequences in any case.

She just hoped she could hold on to the lightness which always made its way from her heart to her entire body when she was close to the other girls, that it would help even if her parents were to scream and demean her as they sometimes did. When the bus stopped and her heart hammered within her chest, she hugged herself for one second and imagined that the others were with her right then, even though she knew that they would be there when she messaged to say she had arrived home.

With that thought lending her some extra energy and determination to go through the few hours between that night and the next day of classes, Ingrid took a deep breath and marched on. She had survived her family's antics before and she would do so again, or her name wasn’t Ingrid Brandl Galatea.

The day after that, however, everyone could see that something had happened to the blonde as there were dark circles under her eyes and she looked downcast. She had messaged the girls the moment she arrived, mentioned that her father hadn’t been happy as predicted, then told the others not to worry and get some rest since they had had a long, long day.

Well, it was clear to them on that cold Friday morning that maybe Ingrid had gotten way more than just extra tasks to do or a parent that was upset over the fact that their child wasn't doing well on a subject (never mind that it was one many had also failed). She didn’t even smile when Dorothea called her “our Ingrid” or made one or two jokes about how she had dreamed of peptides holding hands and the sorts.

Nor did she waver when Edelgard held her hand under the table and petted it with as much care as she could, massaging the blisters and few calluses that were there not only due to volleyball practice, but because of too much housework. Though she did smile again once El drew three hearts holding hands in her notebook beside some logarithms she was having a bit of trouble solving, then gave her hints on how to go about those too.

And as the day went by she gradually opened up due to the girls showering her with affection in the form of touches, drawings, small snacks they got from cafés around the school. She laughed when they gave her her favorite sweet and tasty pie from different places and almost begged for her to try them before PE, which she did and also shared with the others as a silent way to say thanks.

Once they were jn PE Ingrid was the one who always lingered by Edelgard's side, helping her in the stupid sommersaults and cartwheels that Ladislava insisted upon her doing even though they were mere three days away from Edie retaking the test - the last thing she needed was to try something that could end up injuring her. Nevertheless the coach was still adamant she should try gymnastics, which meant Ingrid and the others were always beside Edelgard - giving her not one, but two hands. What was best, whispering about how much progress she had already done was a great way for the blonde to distract herself from her own issues since it meant she was helping someone, being useful and the likes.

Someone who thanked her with a little kiss on the cheek, a squeeze of her hands or shoulder and a solution to a question she was having trouble with when Chemistry class followed suit. 

Not for the first time in recent days Ingrid was actually sad when lectures were over and the last bell rang, signaling that she and Byleth had volleyball practice before meeting Dorothea and Edelgard in the Gaming Mug - and that only a few hours remained of the most blissful time of her day, the one in which she would be with the girls. She had to almost be dragged to the sports court by Byleth, who did so after not only exchanging a meaningful look with Dorothea, but also making some phone calls a little far away from both Ingrid and Edie, the smaller girl holding the blonde and saying what an amazing person she was, how much she made Edelgard’s life better and how grateful she was they had met.

By the end of it all, once Ingrid and Byleth were indeed in the court and warmup was starting her cheeks were as crimson as if they had run to the place instead of leisurely walking there and saying goodbye to the other two as it had become routinary for them to do so.

“Can you go to the café this afternoon or did your father say something about it?” By inquired, a little short of breath once they were free and had gone back to the bleachers to pick up their things.

There was a small smile on her face that wasn’t lost on Ingrid, making her narrow her eyes in a silent question before she answered that with tentative words. “He was uh… very assertive about me being home earlier, but as long as I arrive before them it won’t be a problem.” 

She left unsaid that it meant she would have to stay less time with the girls because of other people and their whims, something that had been eating her alive ever since the man had started yelling the day before. Whenever she thought about it, about how ridiculous that entire thing was, she got close to losing her patience and being mad.

“That’s ok, don’t worry.” Byleth placed a hand on her shoulder and caressed it the slightest before pulling away. There was a light in her cornflower blue eyes that hadn’t been there before, one that made Ingrid worry about what had caused that. “But hm, what would you say if I told you that… we’ll have a sleepover tonight?”

Although Ingrid felt a small pain in her chest at the fact that it probably meant she wasn’t included, though she wondered why By was telling her that right then. Even so she managed to beam and pretend that she was happy for them. For the “we” that didn't include her because of her parents and their stupid rules.

“Have fun, be safe and don’t go to sleep too later I suppose?” The blonde answered, her hand brushing away a loose strand of golden hair that was falling over her eyes, the motion diverting her attention for a split second so she wouldn’t feel the unfairness of it all in her chest, fluttering alongside her -

Byleth giggled as if she had just heard the silliest thing in her entire life, then regarded Ingrid with kind eyes. “Don’t worry, Ingie, you’re invited too. I uh… talked to your father myself before practice and asked if it was ok for you to come. You know how he never denied me anything, so yeah.”

Ingrid stood still, frozen in place at these words. Once she shook herself awake she had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, something that made Byleth chuckle once more before mumbling a small “cute”.

“Is that… is that what you were doing on that phone? How the hell do you even have my father’s number?” The blonde queried, still unsure about the entire ordeal but almost on the verge of tears as it was.

Not that it was unusual for any of them to do something for her, but usually the girls steered as far away from her parents as she herself wanted to be at times. And yes, Byleth did have a way with folks and had always known how to talk to her father in particular without making him explode or judge her for what she said, but even so. The gesture made Ingrid’s emerald eyes burn with tears that were unshed; she couldn't cry anymore, not after already doing so during dawn, the tears of anger and powerlessness that had fallen and she had kept hidden from Rowan and the girls.

Yet this time if she wept it would be in joy instead, the prospect of spending one night away from her family and the duties that also followed her around too good to be true. For once there would be no mandatory prayers in which her father would ask for her to get a rich boyfriend, better grades and behavior. No dishes to wash after everyone was finally done eating, something that took forever since her dad was always going for seconds after dinner was already over and used new plates every single time.

Her eyes opened in gratitude and for the first time in that day she smiled, smiled and laughed as if that was the best thing that had ever happened to her. In a sense it was, no matter how simple that looked for outsiders and even for someone in their group that didn’t really understand how seriously awful last night had been for her. 

She fell into Byleth’s arms and chuckled when the other girl’s hands made their way into her braided hair, petting her scalp while both chuckled, enjoying the moment they had right there as the rest of their team went about their businesses and casted them an occasional glance or two. Not that they cared, not that they even noticed, the world fading once more to the point that there were only the two of them wishing that two other girls were there as well. 

A wish that was soon granted as they literally ran to the Gaming Mug, not even bothering to get on a bus due to how excited they were. It was too good of an afternoon to be spent standing still or on cramped places, not after the week they had had and the weekend full of homework and plans of playing some Fókken online as a treat for all their hard work. 

But now… now they also had a sleepover at Byleth’s house to look forward to, the prospect good enough to make them chuckle and do everything faster so they could get to that moment faster. Edelgard, Byleth and Ingrid almost rushed through the physics homework, stopping just enough to make sure the blonde understood what was being explained and solve the exercises they had written for her as well. When it was time for them to help Edelgard with PE practice for one last time before her test that too was done in a blur, the smaller girl’s movements swift and doubly prone to making her fall, but otherwise a bit more coordinated if one were to compare them to the day in which they had started the entire thing.

And as soon as Dorothea clocked out and was finally allowed to go home she sent a hasty message to Manuela to inform her they were going and ran outside the mall with the other three, feeling free and happy and so glad things had worked out as she had planned them to. The minute she had seen how tense Ingrid was about having to go home one night ago, she told Byleth about how good it would be if they had a sleepover at some point or another so she could get a break from that horrible family situation and all the heartache it caused her.

It would also give everyone an opportunity to talk, to address things that had remained silent for so long and pretty much needed to be said, which included Thea’s own little revelation. She had been dying to talk about it for days, but there was always something or the other which ended up taking the spotlight instead and she thought it was better to stay quiet for a little longer.

Just until after they had their grades and could relax about those, she had told herself, but the numbers had brought more issues and stress than she had predicted. Just until Edie’s PE exam, she had told herself, but in her mind the days were taking too long to pass and each day she felt and saw them getting closer and closer to each other. And at this point, where kisses and hugs were being given a lot more freer than she had experienced with her previous partners, was there any reason to deny what was so plain for her to see?

Or was it all in her mind anyways, the fear of falling in love and being rejected once more overwhelmed by demonstrations of care that she had missed, had thought herself unworthy of getting to begin with?

That was what Dorothea wanted to find out, though the second the four arrived in Byleth’s home once more and immediately went to the kitchen so they could grab something to eat the words froze in her throat. Instead she beamed and played along, set dishes and cutlery around the kitchen table for them to have some snacks and the likes instead of an actual dinner.

It could and would wait, she knew, though the idea of finally having the time and space to say what she wanted to had burned in her mind all day long and kept her from paying attention to classes, her thoughts torn between that, their downcast Ingrid, Edelgard’s long, glazed over stares that seemed to encompass them with a new feeling, one that the girl couldn’t really understand by herself and was experimenting with in her mind. 

It was one of those glances that made everyone turn towards her at once, concern clear to see in their frowns and the hands that reached Edie’s with warmth.

“Hey, is everything ok? Aren’t you hungry or something?” Byleth asked after she and Ingrid were done gushing about the food and the things they could do for that sleepover. 

“Hm? Oh I, I must have spaced out for a few seconds, apologies,” Edelgard replied as she noticed for the first time that not only were they in the kitchen, but there was a feast in front of her, one that was more proper for kids but she wouldn’t be one to complain. She tried her best not to blush at the three sets of eyes on her and reached forward to grab the first item of food she could, trying her best - and failing - to not look suspicious. “This is delicious, by the way.”

“I thought you weren’t a fan of Gautier cheese,” Ingrid commented in a low voice, though everyone openly laughed when Edelgard finally realized she had just snatched a piece of toast with a generous serving of said cheese on it.

She flushed and pushed it aside and the others chuckled even more, the blonde grabbing the rejected snack and biting into it right away. “Sow spwill it, wha is on ur mind?” Ingrid asked while chewing, glad that made the smaller girl smile and some of the tension to leave her eyes.

“It’s nothing important, really,” she shook her head, reluctant to admit how jumbled her thoughts had been for the entire day, how many different ideas kept presenting themselves to her without respite. And since some of those involved the girls around her, well, she couldn’t really just go and talk that openly, right? “A month has gone by so fast, it kind of scares me.”

They stopped eating, beamed weakly at her and caressed her forearm, slow and steady. It wasn’t tough to understand what she meant, what was hiding behind those words. Yet there was even more hiding behind her eyes, hers and Dorothea’s, and it wasn’t lost in any of them as well. 

“It’ll be ok, really. You’re valid for feeling like this but you’ve done all that you can so far,” Thea said, sitting opposite from the smaller girl and leaning even more in the chair in order to touch her. “And you’ll kill it I’m sure.”

“It will be an improvement if I dont get myself killed in the process, to be honest.” She smirked at it, at the snorts she got in response. “But regardless of the outcome, I wouldn’t be here without your help so… thank you, really. It meant and still means a lot to me that you’ve aided me so much.”

“Nah, it’s the least we could do.” Byleth grabbed a slice of chocolate pie from the center of the table and placed it on Edelgard’s plate, then did the same to the other three and was rewarded with their smiles, the gratitude in their eyes. “We can talk it over games though, Dorothea and I have been itching to have our own Fókken competition all week and now it’s finally time.”

They cheered in agreement and ate as fast as they could without choking, then had to fight Ingrid so she wouldn’t automatically wash the dishes after they were done and finally ran to the living room. The console was already plugged into the TV and Byleth went through the usual motions of turning it on, putting the game cartridge on it and placing pillows (no longer just one, but four) on the rug as fast as she could. The other lingered, watching her, each other and the house, Edelgard’s eyes flickering to the door at every passing second until Thea informed her that Beleth was out for the night and they had the house to themselves - Byleth had talked to him after making sure Ingrid was attending and that everything would be fine.

Once they finally fell into the plush rug and picked up the differently colored controllers, most of their stress ebbed away and they concentrated on the game at hands, the little tourney that started with free-for-alls. In no time they were both cursing and laughing at each other, giving praise between matches and turning that into a contest of who would blush the most, a tournament they enjoyed way more than the idea of having a gaming one.

Suffice it to say, it was a very tough call between Edelgard and Ingrid, though Dorothea was a close third once they realized she couldn’t really handle being called amazing and having her playthrough analyzed in depth by either Byleth or Edie. And although By would never admit it herself, the red on her cheeks had literally nothing to do with the hot cocoa they were sipping and everything to do with how the three of them asked her for tips, talked about an incredible combo she had done and her insight on opponents.

In the end there was never a mock tournament among them and they more or less played as doubles after a while, though it was hard to say which pairings were the best - they just worked very well together all in all, with most matches coming to sudden deaths and being decided by small mishaps instead of great gaps in expertise.

Once they took a break and the TV was put on some silly action movie or another they easily fell into a pile on the couch, leaning against each other and touching as much as they could without even noticing it was the case. The moment they did, however, no one wanted to pull away and meantally shrugged, chuckling at the cartoon Byleth had eventually selected and how some of them were already sleepy by that point as well.

That wasn't lost on Dorothea, who decided she should act soon. Yet there was the damn fear of speaking up, of breaking the lull between them and that cozy atmosphere because of a truth she needed to say, had to say with all the words or else it would never be out there. 

A truth that was her, that was part of her and could no longer just be hinted at. A truth that she thought, she hoped, some of them might share or at least be interested in finding out more about it as well. And in the seconds that followed the moment in which the cartoon was over and the TV was turned off for the night, she tasted what she was pretty sure both Byleth and Edelgard had when they revealed their identity to the others so it would be out in the open and submitted to their judgment too.

Yeah, for as much as Thea had been hurt because of their hiding, she had to commend on how brave they had been at telling too. Although it would be around the second or third time she came out like that, it wasn’t feeling any easier than the first.

“I… Before we go to bed and all, can we talk about something?” Dorothea asked once they started stirring, Edelgard’s head moving away from her shoulder and Byleth’s legs lifting from her lap. As nervous as she was, she had to take that moment anyways. Especially when they nodded and waited for her to go on.

And funny enough, the way her heart was hammering inside her chest and her breath was speeding up, this was already proving to be tougher than when she had told her latest girlfriend Monica about it.

Which just showed how _that_ particular relationship hadn’t been worth it to begin with. The words she had heard from that girl were some she still carried in her heart to that day. They echoed in her mind while the girls turned towards her, regarding her with gentle, welcoming eyes and small smiles on their lips.

“Yeah, please go on,” Ingrid said, scooting closer to them and leaning on Edelgard’s shoulder, chin over the hands she placed there. 

“We are here for you, always,” the smaller girl added with a nod, grabbing one of Dorothea’s hands and squeezing it. “And whatever it is, we love you and will continue to do so.”

Even if that was the cutest thing she could ever wish to hear from one or all of them, she did wish Edie hadn’t used the word love like that. Not when the same feeling, albeit stronger and more serious, beat in her chest not only for her, but all of them together. All of them at once. All of them, their distinct personalities and antics, their pet peeves and flaws, their light and everything that made them who they were.

Maybe that was what eventually made her able to speak through the clog in her throat, the weight on her chest that became lighter since all of them were already supporting her with their gazes and expressions alone, the attention that was bestowed on her without any expectations in return. The hands that curled around her own, Edelgard and Ingrid sharing her right hand while Byleth caressed the fingers on her left. 

Last time she had said it with a little story, a preamble to warn Monica of what was to come. This time none of that was needed. Nothing but the actual truth was needed.

Nothing but Dorothea Arnault was needed.

“I’m polyamorous.” The words cut through the silence and the darkness of the night outside, the tickling of the clock in the kitchen the only other sound that accompanied her voice. She had glanced down while saying it, at their joined hands, and studied them while expecting a reaction, a word, a sound, a flinch, them removing their support, anything.

And although her mind had come up with a thousand scenarios, a thousand ways in which they would laugh at her, ask questions she wouldn’t want to answer or even tell her they needed time to think about that, the last thing she expected was what actually happened. Though her mind had hoped for a positive outcome, it was one thing to hope and another to see it occurring in front of her very eyes.

Plus, no matter how positive the result she had secretly envisioned, it surely wasn’t anything like what followed her admission of something that had been seen as a curse and a deal breaker with others.

Ingrid, dear, sweet Ingrid gently pulled her hands closer, keeping Edelgard’s in it with one of her own, then took them to her lips and kissed their knuckles with a wide smile on her lips, lights dancing behind her eyes. “I’m polypeptides too. I- I mean, poly uh, polyamorous,” she fastly ammended, though the damage was already done and the others chuckled, watched her blush deepen when Edelgard had to cover her face with her free hand and laugh away.

“Yeah hm, I… well, you saw my brother yesterday right,” Byleth smirked, shaking her head after pecking Dorothea’s hand as well. “Always one to copy me and the likes so yeah, I can uh, hold more than one hand too.”

It was beautiful to see how wide Dorothea’s smile was as of then, the worry and sternness they had previously detected in her gaze completely gone, replaced by a joy they had never seen there before. But then in a sense, it was as if they were really seeing parts of her, parts of them for the first time, leaving such an intimate and important characteristic of themselves out in the open like that.

Except for lilac irises that were still troubled, marred by a frown and uncertainty that made Edelgard glance down at their linked fingers, at her own heart and the rivulets of emotions that were roaring inside her. That had been roaring there, unseen and untouched yet present in her every blush, every word of care and touch she had given those girls around her.

And in everything else that she had daydreamed about doing and saying more than once, if she were being honest with herself. Could she keep denying what her heart had been whispering to her for so long, in a moment that was calling for truth and was etched by nothing but acceptance and warmth?

“Edie sweetheart? It’s more than ok if you don’t feel the same. We won’t stop loving you and wanting to be with you if -” Dorothea began, squeezing the smaller girl’s hands as she slowly lifted gentle, determined lilac eyes to encompass all of them. 

“N-no, I… That is not what I am thinking and -” she stuttered and had to stop, take a deep breath and let her heart calm down. It wasn’t as if she were about to admit that for the first time in her life she thought she was in love and that it happened to be with them, with all of them. Just that she liked more than one person at the same time. The others had all done it, it couldn’t be hard, right? “I think I am in love with all of you too.”

She was certain she had done good about it, her brain not really catching up with her words due to how foggy it was at first. However, when that was received with silence instead of the support and caresses that the others had received, the hands alongside hers stilling in tension, she took a moment to really look at the three girls around her, cheeks paling when she actually realized what she had just said.

Oh no. That had to be a nightmare, a dream that had turned into a nightmare. There was no way that in her nervousness she had slipped like that, was there?

But then why were there three pairs of wide, careful eyes looking at her as if she had just said the most surprising thing ever - or admitted to a truth that wasn’t only hers, but shared between other hearts that were now beating as fast as her own?

Unsure of what to do, what to say or if she should even reiterate since it was out in the open anyways and they had all heard her loud and clear, Edelgard looked away and moved faster than they had ever seen her do in the few months they had known her so far, her legs unfolding from under her and reaching the floor before any of them even realized she was no longer sitting with them on the sofa.

“H-hey no, please don’t go,” Byleth called in a gentle voice, extending a hand, mentally thanking her for the stumble that almost made her fall - at least it had halted her progress and made the others stand up as well, something that By did on the next second.

They kept close to the couch even so, unwilling to scare Edelgard into retreating any further and ruining any possible chance of them fully communicating, coming clear and stating what they felt, what they had been feeling for a while. So they watched for a few seconds as her body tensed and her eyes stayed down at her own feet, the plain black socks that she always wore and then offered some comfort to the erratic beating of her heart and the unruly cadence of her thoughts.

She had done it. She had ruined a perfect night, the perfect opportunity for them to speak about what it meant to be polyamorous, to love more than one… by admitting her own feelings when she wasn’t even being asked about them. And now well… and now what? What was she even supposed to -

Their movements were so soft she didn't hear them slowly approaching her, though she gasped and flinched the moment one set of arms, then another and another surrounded her in a gentle embrace that made her heart skip a beat for a second, then return to a more regular, albeit still too fast rhythm a second later. Although at first she didn’t know how to feel about that or if she should try breaking free of the hug that was light enough for her to do so if she wished to, in the end she sighed and relaxed against them, bringing them closer by embracing them back.

“Hey, everything’s ok,” Ingrid said, though she too was nervous - all of them were, she had been the one to act first while the others were still processing everything. It had been exhilarating to learn that all of them were polypep- er, polyamorous as it was.

The thought that maybe they had found out about it because of liking one another, at least for some of them, was overwhelming in a really, really good and freeing way. Their flushed cheeks and wide smiles were unfortunately being missed by Edelgard, who kept her eyes closed shut and hid herself on Byleth’s neck, unwilling to face what she thought would be the dire consequences of her actions.

Which meant that _someone_ would have to be brave enough to talk her out of it, or to at least help her not feel as lonely and lost as she probably was in that moment. 

“I uh, I -” the blonde began, only to turn her head abruptly when Dorothea and Byleth spoke up in a choir.

“I’m in love with all of you too.”

As sudden as that had been at least it made Edie look up at them with wide, surprised eyes, her cheeks burning so red Ingrid was even scared that she wasn’t feeling well. 

“And uh, so am I, haha! What a small world, right?” Ingrid added before someone could turn to look at her, then mentally facepalmed due to how stupid that sounded even to her own ears.

Only to fumble with the girl in her arms a second later once Edelgard sighed in relief and her shaking legs finally gave, making everyone tumble to the floor alongside her, their serious expressions giving away to giggles and chuckles when they were sure no one was hurt. 

“Leave it to me to cause not one, but two accidents at the same night,” Edelgard mumbled so low they had to creep closer to her in order to actually make up what she had said, even though they were literally a small pile of tangled limbs at that point. 

“Hey sweetheart, you’re fine and no, you didn’t cause any accidents,” Dorothea soothed, pulling herself away from under Ingrid and Byleth as she sat up, then placed Edie on her lap in a swift movement. “But please never say something like that and run away. Not when we uh… care so much about you."

“In the same way that you do,” Byleth nodded, crawling her way to Dorothea’s side and taking a seat, then draping her arm around Thea’s shoulders. 

“What… what do we do now, though? I - and forgive me for this, I am just lost and you don’t have to answer anything, but I have never been in a relation-” was it too early to call it that? Edelgard shook her head, rephrased that. “I have never done something like this.”

“Yeah, me - me neither,” Ingrid added, leaning against the couch beside the other two, a hand automatically making its way to Edelgard’s hair. 

Byleth and Dorothea watched that for a second before joining her, though their touches were a lot more hesitant than before. It had been awful to wonder if them being so close meant something else, but knowing it was the case didn’t magically solve everything either. Thea knew; she was the only one of them that had gone beyond the kissing part in a relationship and understood everyone would need care, a lot of patience and love in those first few days. 

No, they would always need and deserve those things regardless of whether or not they were together. Regardless of what they chose to do with the fact that there were feelings between them to begin with.

That was the gist of it all, wasn’t it? “Nothing needs to change, at least not until we’re ready or if we don’t want it to,” Dorothea said at last and waited for their response, glad when that was received with nods and sensible looks. Talking and waiting hadn’t been Monica’s forte either, a thing that ended up making Thea think she was communicating too much and too often. It was amazing to see it wasn't the case right there. “I’d uh… like to talk some more about being polyamorous though, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh legit, I’d love to hear about that,” Byleth smiled, a hand curling on Edie’s cheek and another on Dorothea’s shoulder. They were as close as they physically could, which made touching a lot easier. There was no other place in the world she would like to be at other than there. “We can discuss that tonight, maybe give some more thought about the uh… feelings later on? It is getting late too.”

They laughed at that, no matter how logical the entire proposition sounded. Everyone knew they would be unable to sleep after such an eventful night.

“That sounds good,” Ingrid nodded after she was done chuckling, scooting closer to Thea and hugging her waist, her arms being held by both Edie and By. “So did Monica ever know?”

The night that had already watched them embrace and joke with each other out in the streets this time saw them talking about themselves, the past and the present, solacing a girl who had been demeaned in a past relationship just for loving more than one person at the same time.

The conversation didn’t stop when they eventually moved to the mattresses that Beleth had placed together, turning everything into one bed big enough for Byleth, Ingrid, Edelgard and Dorothea to lie together and keep talking, tickling one another and eventually falling asleep in each other’s arms a few minutes before the sun could come up.

* * *

If spending time in their own homes had been difficult before that Friday and the sleepover party, which had ended when Beleth entered the house around noon on Saturday and screamed at Byleth for making a mess in the living room, then it was close to impossible to do so on that weekend. They spent more time on their mobiles than ever, almost ignoring their family members - though Manuela was keen to note the changes and ask what had happened, getting a moment to moment description of it by a joyous Dorothea.

The woman had smiled and hugged Thea as tightly as she could, laughing at the little antics that followed those declarations, commending the girl for her courage to speak up and use all of her words instead of just hinting at polyamory.

“I liked your decision to split the topics in different days so you girls wouldn’t get overwhelmed,” Manuela said that Saturday at dinnertime, an unusual one at that. 

She had insisted on taking her out on that evening instead of ordering some food as they normally did or attempting to cook as they never did. According to her, that and something else that had recently happened in her life were more than enough causes for celebration.

That was how they found themselves not in one of their usual hangouts, but in _the_ Garreg Mach Renaissance, only the best, fanciest restaurant in the entire city. One that they had never thought they would set foot in and only admire from afar in all of its gilded and silver glory. Rumor had it the place was just a rebuild of the ancient Dining Hall that had been an important part of the Garreg Mach monastery back then, something that always attracted many tourists to it due to all the history one could find there.

Instead of the long rectangular tables that according to paintings were shared by many in those ancient times, there were smaller, square ones set around a long silver rug that went from the main entrance to the grandiose door which more than likely led to the kitchen. Over the rug were details in gold and purple, symbols that used to be called crests if Dorothea remembered correctly from history class and had been a hot subject of discussion back in the day. There were small red lamps around each table, their support in iron curving forward so light spilled on the exact center of the wooden table covered by a white tablecloth.

Everything in there was so fancy that the girl felt at loss on what to do and how to act, which of the six knives and nine forks - or three cups - she should use and which plate was the right one for her to snack on some bread before their main course arrived. What was more, since she had had no idea where they were going and Manuela kept the location as a surprise she felt severely underdressed in loose black pants, a white shirt and a crimson trench coat whereas most of the people that were occupying the tables around them were in long dresses, suits, ties and the likes. 

Even though the place was beautiful her eyes getting lost in the vaulted ceiling and the stained glass that depicted religious scenes from back in the day, the bread itself was amazing and she was sure the food would be too, she wasn’t as certain that she wanted to be there or if she belonged in such a place to begin with.

Nevertheless, it seemed that Manuela felt right at home right there and then. She gave lazy smiles and appreciative nods to the environment, to the window they were right next to and the waiters that navigated in almost silence between them, their voices and steps as quiet as possible to not disturb them. She had yet to say a word about what the occasion was, since it wasn’t the first time Dorothea had come out or talked about a relationship before and they had never celebrated it like that.

“Yeah, it felt like a little too much at once, you know?” _Like this place, though it is nice too_ , the girl thought, staring down a guy who kept looking at her and frowning. “They finally heard the truth about Monica, why things ended the way they did.” She took a sip of her sparkling water, which had been poured in what she would call a goblet but what did she know. “Byleth said I should have told her earlier, that she would love to punch the hell out of Monica and it was a shame she ended up moving.”

Manuela chuckled, shaking her head at the idea. “I do agree with her dear, that girl surely didn’t deserve you.” Her eyes shot to the kitchen door when a waiter left, his tray complete with several small dishes and drinks for a table nearby. In the end they had been lucky to find a place since they hadn't made reservations and only the fact they were having dinner at half past six had helped them, as soon enough the place would be packed. “And what do you want to do about the rest of it?”

“You mean the uh, talk about our feelings?” Funny how before, when other people had been involved, she would usually get it sorted as fast as she could. Her first partner had even admitted to have feelings for her over the phone and by messaging they decided to call themselves girlfriends.

It had been fine with Dorothea back then, almost as if the titles and the kisses had been just a prelude. Just something that she ended up agreeing to more because she was curious than due to the fact that she, too, nourished feelings for the people involved. Not that she hadn’t loved each and all of them, but there was a difference as to how she was treating the matter this time that had everything to do about who she was dealing with.

The main thought in her mind, the one that spoke of how she shouldn’t rush into it and screw up what had started as a burst of feelings from their dear Edie would surely keep her from leading the matter the same way she had done before.

“I don’t really know, to be honest,” Thea admitted after mulling over the whole ordeal for a few more seconds, under Manuela’s careful but not imposing scrutiny. “Like yeah, I could tell them all to meet me tomorrow and see if they were cool in sealing the deal with a kiss or two after ice cream. Or I could wait until after Edie’s PE test since she’s really stressed out about it too. I could do neither of that, just get them some chocolate to go with a kiss as a first gift, something that would say that now we’re a polycule, but it somehow doesn’t feel…”

“Right?” The woman offered, rolling her eyes at how simple the word was. She relaxed one second later when her charge nodded, so at least it had been enough for the time being. “Ok, I see how careful you’re being with the entire thing and that’s really amazing if you ask me. You’re dealing with three other girls that you’ve admired and thought about for some time as of now, one of them a little bit more recently than the others - not that it matters, I know.

“The thing is honey, it’s hard to know what would and wouldn’t be the right approach to a relationship no matter its nature. Of course there are things you never should say or do, like kissing them without asking for consent and the likes, but what I’m trying to say is… It’s ok if you, any of you, make a mistake. You’re all human, you’re all exploring these emotions if you do decide to go on with it and you’re all more than valid in feeling a little bit scared at first.”

Despite how many years it had been since Dorothea had come out as both lesbian and polyamorous to her guardian, times like these in which she wouldn’t be judged and nothing but words of support would surround her still made tears gather behind her eyes. She sniffled and tried her best to keep them to herself, both of them chuckling the moment two small, steaming dishes of vegetable pasta and some more toast were set in front of them.

“Ah see, I myself made a horrible mistake bringing us here if that’s the portion size they serve,” the woman went on with a sad face, glancing at how much of her plate was empty, its pearly surface reflecting the crimson light falling over them. “I just hope it’s worth it anyways.”

“It happens,” the girl shrugged, then delicately blew over a forkful before biting at it. It was really unfortunate that the dishes were small, as at least they tasted amazingly. Which reminded her.. “Manuela, what’s the occasion? You’re not one to splurge like that out of nowhere and I’m sure recent developments on my love life aren't worth all of this.”

The woman laughed, fanning her mouth since she had just started eating without checking how hot the dish was. “Yes it is, it’s worth all of this and much more, dear. _You_ are worth all of this and much more.” There was a pause in which she drank some water and sighed, her smile widening once she turned back to look at her charge. “But something did happen these days - or rather, it has been going on for a while but it was a process and you know me…”

“You’d rather not talk about things unless they’re more doable or actually almost done, yeah I know. I’ll never forget all the times you made me think I wouldn’t have a costume for Halloween until the day I woke up and there it was, completely handsewn, months in the making,” Thea rolled her eyes, though she beamed at the recollection and the years they had spent together this far. “So go on, spill. What should I be celebrating with you?”

She had to suppress the urge to lean forward and smack the woman in the arm once she kept silent for dramatic purposes, only to almost jump up and down the table, over the rug while singing her favorite aria when Manuela finally said: “I was hired to be a voice actor.”

Instead Dorothea dropped her fork and beamed from ear to ear, a similar expression on the woman’s face even though she tried keeping it cool and go on eating her meal. “W-wait, how did it happen? When? And where - no, what are you… Ugh, Manuela please tell me everything.”

The woman did, starting at the time she had been browsing for work on the internet and saw an ad by one company that was hiring voice actors for their latest project, as they had just recently opened up a branch in Garreg Mach. At first she hadn’t really thought anything about it since it was a big, impressive industry in the business and there would be literally thousands of people going for the one role they were accepting applications for. It was a temporary job as well, for something minor that maybe wasn’t even worth her first sending some recordings, then going there to a face to face test and selection. And then, after a waiting period of around three weeks or so she received the results.

Just last week she had gotten not not only a date for her to start on the project, but also a proposition to be hired full time so she could voice more than just that one character for the company. Especially since something new had just started its development process as well and her presence would be more than welcome.

By the time she was done telling about it and Thea finally understood why the woman hadn’t been at home or picking up her phone at certain times anymore, the girl didn't know what an appropriate response would be. Especially since everyone had turned to look at her when she was unable to keep a cry of joy from escaping her mouth at the mention that Manuela wasn’t going to that company just for a temporary job.

That she wouldn’t need to try giving extra singing lessons in the end of the year in order to make ends meet, that maybe the worried expression that Dorothea sometimes saw in her face when it came to finances wouldn’t be there anymore or not so present in any case.

That things had looked up for Manuela and she would go back to having more fun in her career, something she hadn’t done ever since she gave up the theater and started teaching private students, a job that allowed its freedom but also had some setbacks. 

“Ok so tell me one more thing because I don’t know if you forgot about it or if you’re doing it on purpose,” the girl said after a few moments in which she was speechless, trying to organize her thoughts and utter something more than just “congratulations” and “you’re amazing” or something like that. “What company is it? Who were the people who finally recognized the talent I’ve witnessed for years?”

The way Manuela’s eyes glittered with a smile and the giggle that followed that question were enough for Dorothea to understand that yes, it had completely been intentional. But the moment she opened her mouth again and answered it she understood why, then decided decorum could be damned and rose to her feet, wrapped her arms around the woman and rocked them from side to side while laughing.

“Hresvelg Gaming Company, honey. I’m now working as a voice actor for one of your girlfriends’s company.”

After they enjoyed the rest of that fancy but scarce meal between laughter that was too loud for those around them, compliments and hugs from time to time as well, they were more than happy to rise, pay the exorbitant bill and go home with wide smiles in their faces.

But before getting back to their place they did stop in a burger joint for their favorite double cheeseburger and milkshake of course.

* * *

Monday saw the four girls meeting outside of school a lot earlier than usual, at a time that even some of the cafés they usually went to for some snacks and coffee before classes were closed. Not that it stopped them from meandering around the block, the streets cold and almost empty as people woke up and got ready for the day, the sky mostly dark since it was taking a bit longer for the sun to rise.

Maybe because of that, because of the dark and the cozy atmosphere around them, they held hands all the time and walked together, caressing each other’s knuckles from time to time and asking in quiet voices about their weekends.

Not that they hadn’t spent most of the last two days talking to each other via messages, but still. There was something about inquiring when they were there, face to face and so close to each other there was barely a breeze between them, that made all of the girls smile before answering, telling some detail or another that they had forgotten to talk about in chat.

Though they spent a lot of time laughing and showering praises to Manuela once Dorothea told her about dinner, with Edelgard saying she was probably in the new game that had started developing a few days ago. The smaller girl proceeded to explain why she had frowned upon saying that, telling how her brother had been treated at the aforementioned family dinner.

Then added the story of how the two of them, plus Dana and Fiona, had spent a nice Sunday talking about being polyamorous, as Edelgard had finally decided the term could and did apply to her after all. 

Actually her siblings had made the decision for Edelgard after hearing her talk of what happened in the sleepover, laughed at her complete foolishness and soothed her once she hid her face between her hands and made to walk away from the situation again. In the end that entire thing had helped distract her from the thought of having to take another exam on Monday on her most feared subject ever, so she was thankful for the jabs and the love she got from that part of her family.

Though nothing compared to how Dorothea, Byleth and Ingrid kept trying to do the same in that morning, making her taste their snacks and beverages, everything from Byleth’s sweet vanilla lattes to the dark, murky coffee that Ingrid preferred. They would occasionally place some kisses on her cheeks and hands and start talking about something completely unrelated to school, more than often about games and awesome Fókken matches that they remembered watching or taking part in, with Byleth praising her so much due to all the times they were both finalists that Edelgard fell silent and simply kissed her on the cheek to stop that.

Which soon proved to be a mistake since that simply made By talk even more about how good of a gamer she was, with Ingrid and Dorothea chiming in because they wanted kisses like that too - and they got them after a while, laughing and hugging the smaller girl to show how things were ok. How things would be ok once break was over and PE would begin, how they wouldn’t love her any less if she were to fail that class.

These words and more like that were mumbled over and over whenever any of them saw some sign of tension in Edelgard’s body or expression as the day went by. Ingrid almost constantly held her hand through the classes in which they were sitting side by side and all of them embraced her for the entirety of break. 

Even though anxiety was still present in her steps once they marched down to the court and saw some of their classmates looking funny at their joined hands, Edie had to admit it was the first time she had felt so light and so loved despite being who she was.

Despite her flaws and the fact that she hadn’t been the best person once Byleth had tried helping her the moment they had met.

Yet Byleth, Dorothea and Ingrid were there and they cheered for her once Ladislava blew the whistle and the handball game began, the only one they would have for the remaining days of the term so she could properly evaluate Edelgard. This time there were still some problems and stumbling during the warmup, but more than anything the woman recognized the look of sheer determination behind Edie’s eyes.

One that had more to do with how much she had worked towards that day, even if she lost the ball frequently, wasn’t able to score even when the goalie from the opposite team was Byleth and almost discreetly missed an obvious defense for her sake.

One that made Ladislava stop the game once Edelgard fell once more and clutched her knee with a pained expression, trying to get to her feet and continue even though there were tears and some panic in her eyes, the certainty that she had done awful and failed the test yet again no matter how much she had practiced for it.

“Game’s over, everyone,” the coach announced, beaming to herself when Ingrid and Dorothea kneeled on the floor so they could soothe Edelgard and take a look at her knee as well. “You three, take her to the infirmary please. Everyone else is free to go and rest.”

Most of the class was tittering, shaking their heads and mumbling about what a waste of time that had been. The three girls circled the smaller one, alternating between asking how she was feeling and saying that she had done her best, that they knew and still loved her no matter what.

And maybe it was getting to hear that, or to see some improvement when compared to the first time around even if both attempts had finished with Edelgard on the floor, but the next words Ladislava said surprised even her since she wasn’t one to accept so little from a student like that.

“Hresvelg? Are you ok?” The lilac eyes that turned in shock to look at her were unfocused and sad, the gaze soon movimg away in a mixture of shame and anxiety. The coach had to keep herself from laughing when Ingrid and Dorothea glared at her, Byleth crossing her arms as well. “You did a lot better than before, that much was visible. And no need to worry about your grade at all. You passed.” 

That was followed by a few heartbeats spent in silence before the three girls hugged Edelgard and almost smothered her with praises and caresses, talking about celebrating that and how they had believed in her from moment one. In the end, Ladislava thought as she turned away and went to get her mobile, to look at the message she had received from principal Rhea a few days ago, maybe it wasn’t that some people weren’t given the right opportunities in sports to begin with. No one could be good at everything and it was ok; maybe some people were really better off without handball and gymnastics in their lives after all.

She was already gone when they finally got to their feet and helped Edelgard to do the same, supporting her in a group hug so she could more hop than walk her way to the infirmary alongside them, a wide, relieved smile on her face that was mirrored in theirs and the lights dancing behind their eyes.

Ingrid and Dorothea gushed over her “feats” (or the moments in which she had only stumbled and not fallen, made a half-decent pass to one of her teammates and dodged an angry opponent that tried taking the ball away from her) while Byleth nodded along, leading the way and beaming even more than all of them together.

They were happy, they were proud and more than anything they were relieved that it was over, that they wouldn’t see their dear Edie looking downcast and stressed out because of almost failing a subject for the first time ever. Yes, PE would be there as a class and she would fall, injure herself and the likes all over again but they would be there to catch her and help with the wounds if she so desired or wanted them to.

“Hm, I guess Mercedes is taking a break or something,” Byleth frowned once they went inside the empty, darkened infirmary room after knocking and getting no response. The “or something” part was more feasible though, as no matter how amazing of a nurse she was, she could also be a bit forgetful at times. 

“Well that is ok, I think I only need to wash these gashes and bandage them,” Edelgard shrugged while they helped her get on the cot, then cleaned her cheeks from the tears of happiness that had fallen during their way there. “You can go if you want, I think I got this.”

“Nah c’mon, PE isn’t over until we take care of you,” Dorothea taunted; the flirtatious wink she gave to accompany that making them laugh while Byleth and Ingrid went to the supply cabinets to get what they needed. “And to the victor go the spoils anyways, so sit still and let us do what we do best.”

“You mean making me flustered to no end because of your antics?” Edie shook her head, a small blush already covering her cheeks. Though if she were being honest that had more to do with Dorothea being so close to her, sitting beside her on the cot and running a hand up and down her arm as well. “Or do I - do I get an extra prize?” 

As awful as Edelgard felt about asking if, the real culprits behind that were Fiona and Dana. The two had somehow said that it would be more than valid if she asked for it after the PE exam, a consolation prize if she failed or a congratulatory one if she passed. And of course, being still nervous and anxious for the test, the words ended up coming like that.

Ingrid gasped and Byleth chuckled once they heard them, approached the other two with bandages and clean cloths in their hands as always. They deposited those on the opposite end of the cot and shared a glance between themselves, well-aware of what had been in their minds for the entire weekend, for the day as it had progressed and they found themselves wondering what it would be like to…

“I do say you deserve an extra prize for it,” Byleth uttered after she started cleaning a gash, her eyes fluttering between lilac ones and the two sets of green around her. Once she was done with that and the other bruises around it, since Ingrid was apparently frozen and forgot she was supposed to help too, she straightened her spine and went on. “But I can’t hm, I can’t really think of anything as of now.”

She could, they knew. All of them could and the answer was there, had been there from the beginning of that day and the way their hands had lingered, their little pecks on the cheek had been taking longer, moving closer to the lips than anything else. Yet none of them had an inkling on how to go about that, what to do in such a situation or how to even make sure that everyone would be comfortable with it.

They were saved not by the victor, but by Ingrid, who was the first to look up from the floor and at them, at their blushes and the idea that was stamped so clear in their faces it just needed words for things to actually move forward, something that failed all of them at once. 

“I… I think the victor hm… deserves kisses,” the blonde whispered, her own cheeks flaring to life at the way three gazes moved to her, soft and light but still there. “If of course that’s - that’s what she wants!”

Giggles followed that and for the first time they realized how close they had moved to each other on instinct. Dorothea was fully hugging Edelgard and kept a hand on Byleth, who was standing right in front of her and holding Ingrid’s hand; none of them could remember when they had closed that distance but at the same time, no one was actually complaining about it either. 

Not when it just felt so good, so right to be together like that, with all of them present in the same way they had imagined one too many times already.

“I would love that, though I think it would… it would be wrong if the amazing people who helped me didn’t get any kisses too,” the smaller girl mumbled, so low they wouldn’t have caught it if they weren’t standing that close. If they didn’t have something similar in mind, too. 

“Can I kiss you then, Edie?” Dorothea’s hand slowly traveled from her arm to her chin, then traced small patterns on her cheek. “It’s ok if you say no.”

Even if she had just heard the admission that it was what she wanted, no, what they wanted, a part of Thea’s mind was keen on letting her know there was no way that was happening. That she wasn’t about to actually get to kiss the girls she had been wanting to kiss for so long, at once. 

Those thoughts were silenced when Edelgard nodded and leaned forward, unsure of what to do. Acting on emotions that had been there for so long she couldn’t recall when they had come to be, Dorothea cradled Edie’s cheek and closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to the smaller girl’s as softly as she could in order to let her get used to it, to the small pressure and the slight movements, to the warm, gentle act of care that they shared in that moment as well. They were dimly aware that Byleth’s hands were running circles in their backs while she and Ingrid shared a shorter, clumsy kiss as well. 

Though they couldn’t stop themselves from giggling once Thea pulled away and a little whimper left Edelgard’s mouth, a protest to the loss of contact that was cut short when Dorothea softly turned El's chin forward and Ingrid hugged her a little too enthusiastically.

Thanks to Thea and By holding them steady they didn’t end up lying on the cot, the contact still there once they kissed and Edelgard noted how much more tentative it was, how gentle and caring and short-lived since they had made the mistake of opening their eyes mid-kiss and happened to just look at how Dorothea and Byleth moved with more ease, more practice in a sense, even though it was the first time they had kissed each other.

“See something you like, dears?” Thea beamed as she pulled away from Byleth, her cheeks flushed by all the shared contact and how that was proving to be better than her daydreams. “Heh, you’re really cute like that, did you know?”

There were laughs when Ingrid and Edelgard hugged, trying their best to hide their faces on each other and holding on so tight, Byleth and Dorothea had a tough time prying them apart so they could all kiss some more, Thea and Ingrid going for a bit longer while Edelgard and Byleth watched, shared gentle, shy pecks and touched the other two as well.

Suffice it to say, by the time Mercedes did remember her shift wasn’t over and lunch time would only be in another two hours or so, she walked into four girls that had been in there for a while - even though the cuts and bruises on Edelgard's legs had been cleaned and bandaged some good minutes ago.

* * *

It had been tough for all of them to say goodbye and go home after such an incredible late afternoon spent in Dorothea’s place, where they had rushed to as soon as her shift was over and so was their homework for that day. Although her game selection was smaller than Edelgard’s and nothing compared to Byleth’s they had had way more to do than just play games, watch cartoons and eat snacks this time around, with kisses and caresses being freely traded and given in the privacy of the house.

Yet all good things had to come to an end at a time and once Manuela sent a message to Dorothea saying she would be home in around half an hour, the others decided it was a good time for them to go home as well. Especially Ingrid, who looked a bit concerned at the fact that it was past 8pm and her father would probably be livid the moment she showed up at last.

Her worries were placated by kisses and gentle words, affirmations that they would be there no matter what and she should send them a message if something happened, anything at all, or if she needed some assistance.

Yet even though they had said that and meant every single word, the last thing Dorothea, Edelgard and Byleth expected while telling nice family members about what had happened on their day at school - and a certain something in the infirmary - was to actually receive a message in their group chat at almost 10pm. One composed of three simple words that chilled them to their bones.

 _“I need help.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we goooo! Four girls being in love and actually saying they are in love akjsksjska 
> 
> I had half a mind to split this into two chapters but at the same time it would mean having a long chapter and a much shorter one later, but I hope you guys liked this anyways.
> 
> Now we have some things going on with Ingrid as well hehe, but that you'll see soon! Have a nice weekend and thanks for reading


	14. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ingrid faces the consequences of antagonizing her father for too long, finding solace in another place.

Ingrid couldn’t remember ever being so happy in her entire life, at least not for the last few years. Yes, she had gotten a bad grade at physics and her father was giving her hell for it, but she had started studying with Edelgard and Byleth on the same day they got their results - and could already see some improvement in problem-solving skills, though she suspected that was also wishful thinking on her part and her listening too much to all the praise all the girls showered her with. 

For the first time her days weren’t all about suffering at math class, barely staying awake through lectures and finishing it off with volleyball practice before having to face her homework and the home work, aka cleaning the house from head to toe once her parents and sibling arrived too. The highlights of her weeks were no longer the moments spent in school, though those had become even better with the company of the three girls that now meant more than the world to her, their shy smiles and warm touches a solace and support she hadn’t known she needed until they were there for her.

No, despite how much her father was suspicious that she wasn’t really being kept at school until nighttime because of volleyball and was still giving her hell whenever she forgot herself and arrived late at home, she was the happiest once school was over and she was free to hang out with the girls at the Gaming Mug. She continued to do that no matter how much she was threatened if she got home after her parents and sibling, accompanying the girls to Byleth’s or Dorothea’s place at times and ending her day in their company.

A company that she had craved more than anything during the weekend, even if they kept messaging and sending each other updates on their lives, their thoughts and how things were going. Yet nothing could replace that feeling of being able to touch them, to caress and soothe and hold them and now…

And now kiss them as well, at least after that day spent together once PE was over and the hours that followed. Everything had turned into a rosy, happy haze in Ingrid's mind as she went back home at last, to the point that those thoughts were enough to keep her distracted even though a part of her was fearful and worried about the reception she'd get from her father.

But then what was the best issue to think about, some senseless words from someone who didn't know her or how Byleth's, Dorothea's and Edelgard's lips had felt against hers? 

This time, her bus trip and the few blocks she had to walk home were merry ones because of such reveries. There was a smile on her lips and she was actually humming while fishing the keys from her backpack and unlocking the door, almost uncaring that she was about to be scolded - would it matter anyways? It wouldn't be the first or the last time that something like that occurred and it surely shouldn't dictate her feelings or how she saw life. Especially after three amazing girls had been showing her that there was more to her existence than failing math, playing volleyball and cleaning the house. 

However, any semblances of a good mood or the light that Ingrid had gradually been discovering within herself, within her heart and its capacity to love more than one person at once, was gone before she could finish taking off her shoes and dropping her bag on the hallway. 

Her heart, once shining and singing, turned dark and silent the second her progress was halted by none other than her father. The man was standing smack in front of the door, his posture imposing in its anger, face contorted by it and eyes so small she could barely see the dull emerald that was so contrasting from hers even though in theory they should share the same hue.

They didn't share the same approach to the world though, and that somehow made all the difference when it came to how their irises glittered and enchanted others around them.

His face was red and livid, another opposition to Ingrid's now paling cheeks as her heart rate sparked and adrenaline coursed through her body, working its chilly magic and making her muscles ready to bolt or defend her. They were the same height but at that moment she felt small, insignificant even before he could say one single word.

Even before her mother's accusing eyes were on her and Rowan stopped dusting to settle scared irises upon their sister as well. 

If those weren't signs that Ingrid was majorly screwed, then she didn't know what else they could be. 

Maybe because of the strange, awful mixture of anxiety, panic, adrenaline and fear coursing through her she couldn't recall the exact words that were said a second after they were out of her father's mouth, thunders in a storm that had been brewing for a long, long time.

Thunders that struck home, that charred her mind and heart as that went on for too long, accusations being thrown left and right before inquiries could be made as to why she had _actually_ been getting home that late. 

Why her grades were that awful. Why she couldn't do better at house services since her parents were only training her so she could be a proper wife. Why she was so plain and so… inappropriate to be their kid, so unlike her flawless friend Byleth and beautiful, polite Dorothea.

Why the Goddess had sent them such an ungrateful child that would probably never get to live a full life religious and mundane-wise, because no one liked her personality or who she was.

Because she was too unworthy of even being a Galatea all things considered. 

Because she was lazy and shrinking her duties.

And finally, because…

"It's no wonder you've never met a boy who liked you, nor will you with that…" Here he paused, pondered. It was the first respite Ingrid had ever since she got home, regardless of the fact that she had picked up a broom right away and started cleaning alongside a sad-looking Rowan, who petted her hand whenever their father wasn't staring. 

And that was when the final accusation came, the funniest of it all in a distorted and foolish way. The one that almost made Ingrid laugh due to how impossible it was, while also making her wonder why or how he had gotten to such a stupid conclusion. 

Because in a sense he wasn't wrong. But it wasn't as if those words were welcome, true or needed at such a stressful moment as it was.

"You've been sleeping around, haven't you?!" Although his voice had been raised for the last one hour or so, to the point that neither Ingrid nor Rowan understood how he still had lungs or vocal cords to keep him going, that was surely louder than everything he has said so far.

It made the siblings' minds quiver in a mixture of fear and anger, bitter reminders of when such a thing had happened in the past again and again and again. It made them hate that moment and themselves for that response, a double response that left a bitter taste in the back of their mouth, made the night outside the living room they had been cleaning even darker than it was. 

"Who is he? Who is the awful, ungodly boy who's keeping you away from your duties to your family as of late?" He bellowed, then followed that with a string of insults and stupid words that made Ingrid's heart twist within itself.

Maybe it was that, or the fact that she had been yelled at for so long her head was hurting more than ever and her entire body was so tense her shoulders had started to hurt. Or how Rowan's eyes were cross as well, their wish to defend the one person who had been true to them from the beginning apparent in their irises. 

Perhaps it was all of that and how her father was managing to turn what was supposed to be a perfect, amazing day into something terrible because of his conjectures and accusations, all the theories that wouldn't be true even if Ingrid was the person they thought she was. But something snapped inside of her in that moment and her mind rebelled, her instinct to protect herself going haywire as she stopped caring.

Stopped harkening to all his senseless orders and attitudes and ideas of what a perfect daughter would be like. 

The broom fell from her hand as she let it go, her entire body trembling with nerves and fatigue. She was tired, so tired, and not only because of all the manual labor she had been doing nonstop for years. 

Ingrid was so done with it and wishing for respite that she no longer minded what would happen next. What the consequences to her words would be. She simply turned to face her father and yelled louder than him, speaking her truth so it rang clearer than any lie he might have ever made up about her.

"I'm NOT seeing a boy, nor will I ever see one. Guess what, father, I have a girlfriend. No, that's wrong. I have THREE amazing girlfriends and nothing will ever change that. So screw you and your rules and all of your religious stuff, I'm DONE with it. I’m done with being nothing more than your maid and punching bag.

“Well guess what, people have feelings. I have feelings and wishes of my own. If you can’t understand something so basic then I’m pretty sure there’s no amount of praying that can save you. And what’s more, I’m through with this.”

He froze into place and she took that as her moment to do something more than just yell. That was his method after all and the last thing she wanted was to become like him in any way. Anger still clouding her movements and her reasoning, Ingrid dashed from the room without stopping to look behind her even when her name was called by their mother, or when Rowan placed a hand on her arm, then turned around to yell some more at their dad, buying her time.

Buying both of them enough time to pack whatever was necessary in their rooms and get out of the house before anyone could react, the shock of Ingrid's revelation and whatever it was that Rowan had screamed at both parents too much for any of them to move around. 

For any of them to stop their children from escaping into a night that was lighter and warmer than the house they had been forced to call home even if it had never felt like that to them. The night that surrounded them with promises and a calm, soothing breeze which wrapped around them, catching their tears as they finally fell after all the fury started ebbing out of them.

They took a few steps away from the house that had been a prison, Rowan placing a small, shaky hand on Ingrid's shoulder. They wouldn't dare speaking and perhaps angering the blonde even more - it was the first time they had seen her so upset but then, that too was a storm that had been brewing for a long time. For way longer than her father's on that night at the very least, since it was empowered by years of unfairness and keeping quiet about things that mattered to both of them.

The tempest carried Ingrid towards a bus stop that was farther from the Galatea abode than the one she usually stood at to go to school, her entire self working on autopilot until she shook her head and saw where she was. That there was a heavy backpack on her shoulders, another on her hand and Rowan trudging behind her in a similar state. That there was so much sadness and uncertainty on their face, mirroring the ones in her heart, that a new wave of a cold, uncomfortable feeling coursed through her.

She was the big sister. She was supposed to keep her cool, to fight for them. To help them navigate that strange world that she should know how to go through a bit more. To offer solace and aid, not a display of emotions and one hell of a breakdown the way she had.

Not to make her actions, and their devotion to her, become the cause that would throw them out in the streets like that. 

"Y-you should go back." Her voice was raucous and a second later she realized there were fresh trails of tears on her cheeks too. Had she been crying and whimpering all the way there without realizing it?

"To that hell? No," Rowan didn't stomp their feet the way they used to when they were little, but the effect was pretty much similar. Their light green irises were determined and set, their expression enough to make Ingrid realize they would not be dissuaded at all. "I'll go where you go."

"I have no idea where to go and you deserve better, Rowie." She shook her head, wincing. "You shouldn't have followed me to begin with."

"Screw them and their abusive shenanigans, Ingie. I can't stand that place anymore, same as you." There were tears in their eyes now, tears that fell when the next words were uttered. "I'm tired of it, I'm tired of seeing both of us suffer because they're too comfortable in their position and what they believe is right. I wanna be me, not the Rowan they think I am. Lying and letting them do whatever they want with us is too much."

"I'm sorry, sib." There wasn't much more that Ingrid could do beside that, beside hugging them as tightly as she could and taking comfort when her act was reciprocated. Her heart was racing and beating in pain, her mind running as it looked for a solution to that, for a way to make things better.

It didn't take long for her to have an idea about what to do. The second her thoughts turned back to those people who had been her everything, who had offered her all the support and the happiness in the world, she took her mobile from its pocket in her backpack. At first she winced, wondering if 10 pm was too late for her to say something of the sorts. But then she was desperate and if not for her, Rowan deserved a better place to sleep than out in the open like that. So she took a deep breath and sighed, typed three words that would change her next few days and waited.

It took less than half a minute for all of them to respond and less than five for a decision to be taken. Despite it being a favorable one that would temporarily solve Ingrid's issues it didn't mean she was relieved or ok with that.

A feeling that only intensified the moment she and Rowan stepped into the Hresvelg mansion, Edelgard's hand caressing her shoulders to try and help her relax. 

Everyone offered to house Ingrid and Rowan not only for one night but for as long as they needed, though Edelgard had argued that it would be easier for them to stay with her from moment one instead of having to change houses every once in a while. 

_We have one too many empty rooms here,_ she had written, already texting Dana as well since the nurse was on her way back home, asking if she wouldn’t be so kind to pick up a “beautiful blonde girl with long tresses, emerald eyes that were probably red from crying, a backpack and a sibling in hand” and bring them to the house too. After that had been set and the others had said it would be ok for their dear Ingrid to spend some time with them as well, Edelgard stepped outside the mansion and waited by the front yard, mobile in hand and a furious expression in her face, anger beating in her heart.

Ingrid hadn’t said too much, only enough to let them know the night had been hectic, way worse than any other she and Rowan had to face in the past, and that in the end she kind of spoke too much too soon and decided it would be way better if she was out of the house anyways. Her sibling had just followed after yelling some stuff too; Byleth and Dorothea had just agreed it was for the best in a sense and that it took too long for either of them to react. 

That such things happened and they were ok, that Edie, Thea and By would do everything in their power to make things ok. 

As soon as the car arrived and the siblings climbed down from it, Edelgard engulfed Ingrid in the warmest embrace she could manage to give, trying to channel the love and care she felt for not only her, but all of the girls that had a place in her heart - and had done so for some weeks and maybe even a month, if she were being honest with herself. It broke her to see the blonde in such a state, her shoulders tense and jaw almost locked, body stiff against hers as they hugged and the smaller girl rubbed her back in an attempt to soothe. It took a little while, enough for Rowan to place a hand on their sister’s head and caress it too, and Dana to approach them and ask if they needed help with their bags, if they were hungry or if there was something, anything at all they could do about it. 

There wasn’t, not at that moment at the very least. Even so, being surrounded by whispers, affirmations and care instead of the screams, judgment and dismissal that they had gotten from their parents was enough to make them relax, Ingrid melting into Edelgard’s arms and even beaming weakly when the girl gave her a soft peck on the cheeks. Meanwhile Rowan watched the entire scene with a smile on their face, glad to see their sister get some of the love she deserved so much.

Until they, too, were asked if they would like a hug and rewarded with an equally long embrace from Edelgard and Dana, the kind nurse who had driven them there without asking anything other than if they wanted to listen to the radio.

“How are you both holding on?” Edelgard asked as Rowan let go of her, lilac eyes traveling from them to the blonde in order to make sure they were minimally ok. She would never admit it out loud, but her greatest fear the second Ingrid started typing about what had happened was to see her with a bruise or something of the sorts.

She had heard enough about stupid parents that had no control over their emotions as it was, so she actually sighed in relief the second she noticed it wasn’t the case.

“Eh, been better but what can you do,” Rowan shrugged, speaking since their sister had remained quiet. “It was about time father heard some words instead of simply speaking all that stupid stuff and going unpunished.”

“I’m really sorry, you guys,” Dana said with a little bow of her head. She had loved hearing her sweet El talk about each and all of her girls, then watched her eyes get cloudy whenever Ingrid’s strange family situation was mentioned. In the end that development had been expected in one way or the other, but even so. “I might not know you personally but trust me, I’m here if you need anything and hm, it’s a pleasure to meet one of El’s… uh, someone that El loves so dearly.”

“We can talk more about that later, but let’s go indoors please, the cold is killing me,” Edelgard for once wasn’t stuttering when it came to her feelings towards the others, even if her cheeks blushed a slight tone of red because of that. It wasn’t the right time to discuss such an issue, not when there were more serious things to be dealt with.

Such as the fact that in her haste, Edie had failed to mention to everyone else but Dana that they might have two guests for the night. Guests that came with huge backpacks stuffed to the brim and might… stay for longer than just one day too. 

“Oh hello Dana, nice to see you so early,” Conrad said once the four opened the door and went into the hall, then proceeded to take off their shoes and place them next to the wall. He was still wearing a suit and tie as he had arrived less than an hour ago and had gotten right back to work the moment after he made sure everything was alright at home. He usually did step in for their parents and cared for the youngest as if it had always been his duty to begin with. “And are those… friends of yours, Edelgard?”

Before the smaller girl could retort Fiona waltzed in behind Conrad, a piece of toast in hand since she loved going for a night snack before bed. “Ohhhh, isn’t that one of the girls you have a crush on, El? Ingrid, was it?”

The glares she received in response were enough to make Fiona hate her own existence for the next ten minutes or so. It went without saying that she had spoken the words before she could think better about what she was about to do, her mouth getting the best of her and leaving her mind unable to catch up with it.

Her one wish had been to make Edelgard fluster so bad, she would win that week’s game of “who makes our sister blush the most” against Dana, sure that if she said something like that in front of one of those girls she would get the upper hand by so many points, their older sister would spend weeks or months trying to catch up.

However, she regretted everything the second she saw how both of her sisters were glancing at her with nothing but utmost fury, how Edelgard’s entire expression was burning with it to the point that Fiona didn’t think that would actually count into her weekly score. That was also when she knew she had majorly screwed up and done something that would bring everyone more consequences than making fun of her sisters would ever be worth.

Even more so when Ingrid kept looking down and the one person to chuckle with that was the newcomer who stood beside the blonde. Meanwhile, Conrad needed a moment of silence to digest what he had just heard and another to actually formulate any sort of answer.

“Excuse me, what? What could you possibly be talking about?” He inquired, grey eyes darting between all of them but focusing the most on Edelgard and Ingrid. Had he really heard what he thought he had? “ _One_ of the girls?”

“That is not even the slightest bit relevant at this moment, Con,” Dana answered the second Edelgard opened her mouth to give what was more than likely going to be a very, very nasty retort. She was too much on edge to actually ponder over what she was about to say and how it would impact everything else around her and the nurse knew. “They need a place to stay for a while, that’s all.”

“And what makes you think they can simply show up and claim two rooms like that with no early warning or a date of departure?” He exploded, his raised voice and words drawing the attention of other, older siblings. His twin Celia glanced at him with a frown, though Beatrice, who was older than both, nodded along and seemed to find it all very reasonable. “This is a family house and has to be respected as such, despite the nature of their… relationship to Edelgard.”

“Indeed, because that is exactly the same way you would react if the woman from the marketing department that you have a crush on sent you a message asking for help, am I correct?”

Everyone who was assembled turned towards the source of those words, with Dana and Fiona wincing at how they had been unable to stop Edelgard from actually speaking up. Her cheeks were completely red and her eyes were narrowed to two icy, sharp slits that made Ingrid physically flinch away and step closer to her sibling in reflex. When both the Galateas turned to stare at the other Hresvelgs in order to gauge their reaction, they were a bit on edge at the unease they saw on their faces, the grin acceptance of what was to come.

“That is completely beyond the point,” Beatrice argued, siding with Conrad and stepping closer to him, her long, silken chestnut hair shining in the light of the lamps that hung from the wall nearby. “It is one thing to have a guest from time to time, El. But we cannot just adopt this girl for an indefinite amount of days and pretend everything is fine. Even if she is one of your uh…”

“The word _girlfriends_ does not sting if you say it, last I checked,” Edelgard spat, her small body taut and ready to spring to action, a contrast to Ingrid’s more pensive approach to it all. 

Sure, she had expected that things wouldn’t be that simple. That it wasn’t as if someone would easily take her in like that, the way her… girlfriends had thought it would be like. But to have all of those truths thrown on her face by complete strangers after hearing something similar from her father not too long ago made a knot form inside her chest. One that at first stopped her from speaking clearly, even more so because she kept hearing pervasive thoughts that said she didn’t really belong there, that she didn’t actually belong anywhere at all.

"I…" Ingrid uttered, her voice completely miserable, making all eyes turn toward her. Edelgard held her hand and squeezed it, the fury in her own expression diluted once she noticed all the sadness on the blonde's face.

She what? She had no idea what she had wanted to say to begin with, but tried following her previous words with the truth, with what she was feeling within herself. It had been such a long day, the last thing she wanted was to see families fighting on her behalf. "I… don't want to be a burden to you."

"There's no such a thing, little one," Dana shook her head after glaring at her older siblings, who stood impassive on the other side of the room. "Anyone who's been so good to our dear El deserves to be considered part of the family. And to be properly welcomed too."

"El, are you the same as Eddy then?" Celia said with a wink and a beam, trying as much as she could to ease the mood around them.

She had been one of the few between the older siblings to actually sit down and talk to Edmund following his declaration at dinner, then run some research of her own while speaking to Conrad about the matter.. Whenever her twin said something that felt bad or disrespectful she would slap his knee with a little more strength that she usually did and remind him that that was his younger brother they were talking about. 

That no matter what, Eddy was still Eddy and would always be so, regardless of who or how he loved. 

There was no way not to notice and melt at the look of love and admiration on Edmund's face whenever he talked about Beleth and Jeritza, the smile which would enlighten his expression as he showed her pictures of the two, or of the three of them together at Garreg Mach University, at Fish and Eat 'Em or at Garreg Mach Sports Club, where Jeritza taught fencing. 

And now she could detect the same feeling on Edelgard's lilac eyes, an echo of love hiding behind the anger of being antagonized over something so simple. It was there in gestures too, in the way she had stepped in front of Ingrid and her sibling in a protective gesture despite how the blonde towered over her. Or how they were holding hands, supporting and caring for one another, and in Celia's mind there was no doubt such was the feeling between her little sister and the other girls she loved too.

Which was why she wanted more than anything to stop that stupid fight and let Conrad and Beatrice see reason soon.

"Yes, I am polyamorous too." It was easy to say it this time around, even though only Celia on the other side of the room smiled her way and nodded.

"Well that's wonderful dear, you deserve all the love out there _and_ it makes me happy to see you opening up to relationships too," she winked, chuckling as that made Edelgard's eyes widen in surprise, then turned to the two beside her and went on. "Dana said it best and this is not what's at stake here, but that's one of our sister's partners and she deserves respect. They all do and what's more, do you think it's fair for us to turn our backs on her?"

"When her family has so promptly done it as well? Do we want to be like those bigoted, judgemental people who use Ingrid and Rowan for chores and offer them nothing but awful words in return?" Edelgard stepped in, looked at her siblings in defiance. She wouldn't mind it if Ingrid and Rowan needed to room with her - her quarters were big enough for the three of them anyways.

But she would be damned if she was about to let Conrad get the last say on that and push Ingrid out into the cold night outside once more. 

Although those weren't the words that did it, at least they helped him see that perhaps, just perhaps, both him and Beatrice had been a little too strict at first. That there was a huge chance even their parents wouldn't react like that, though they were still trying to come to terms with the fact that Edmund had more than one partner as it was. They would surely have a blast when they heard the same was true of Edelgard, but that was a matter better left for another night.

In the end he sighed and nodded, said most rooms on the left side were empty and the Galateas were free to pick whichever they wanted, but everyone would have to sit down and speak some more about it in the next few days. As the entire room let go of a sigh they hadn't realized they were holding and started upstairs, Conrad turned one last time and said in a contrite voice:

"Ingrid and Rowan, is it? I'm really sorry about what happened. You surely deserve better than to be treated like that - and please forgive my immediate reaction too."

The blonde nodded and her sibling smiled, brushing her eyes to ward sleep away from them. That was noticed by Dana, who ushered them to follow her and asked if they wanted something to eat as well, leaving Ingrid and El alone in the living room. Fiona was keen on following Rowan out and into the kitchen the second they accepted some food, beaming once they were asked about how they'd like to be addressed.

Ingrid’s eyes had stayed glued on the floor through most of the discussion, her entire demeanor apologetic. It didn't change when she was face to face with one of her partners, who gave her some moments to enjoy some peace and quiet on what must have been one hell of a night for her. But after a while Edelgard took a few gentle, slow steps forward and delicately took the blonde’s hands in hers, squeezing and caressing them, waiting for any sign that it would be ok for her to say something, anything at all.

Yet it was Ingrid who broke the silence and uttered again in a small voice, “I’m sorry I caused you that much trouble. I didn’t mean to have you come out to your family like that either and…” she shook her head, trying to keep tears out of her eyes. She had already cried more than she should and it would solve nothing in any case. “You should have… I should have never sent that message anyways, but Rowan, Rowan deserves…”

“Hush, Ingie,” Edelgard pulled her closer and hugged her in full once more, noticing that her entire body was shaking with all the stress, her knees giving out because of exhaustion. “ _You_ also deserve a place to rest and people to treat you better, ok? Come, have you had any dinner?”

A shake of the head was the only thing she got at first, but the moment the smaller girl tried leading her to the kitchen Ingrid shook her head and muttered something or another about feeling sick, if she could take a shower and find herself a room instead. For the first time in her life she didn’t have to fish for towels that she herself had washed (sometimes handwashed because her father thought washing machines were a waste of space that didn’t really get the job done) or make sure someone wasn’t taking too long in the bathroom as well.

Rather, a maid kindly placed a fluffy, dowry blue towel on her hands and Edelgard helped her pick the room that was close to the stairs and automatically the closest to hers as well. And not that Ingrid should be surprised, but there was an immaculate adjoining bathroom waiting for her right there, complete with a bathtub, essential oils and bath bombs if she chose to indulge - which she almost did, after getting a kiss on the cheek from Edelgard and promises that everything would be fine, that she was welcome and she could afford to relax for as long as she wanted and needed to. 

“I will be here for you and Rowan, always,” the smaller girl said before leaving, somewhat glad that Ingrid had smiled and thanked her, mumbled something about it meaning a lot to her.

For the first time in her life Ingrid could take a shower that didn’t last for less than five minutes and wasn’t interrupted by her parents asking her to do something, or complaining about how awfully she had washed the dishes and how she would need to try again once she was out - and why was she taking that long too? There was nothing on the other side of the big, dark wooden door that would force her to keep working after school, or someone to yell that it was time for prayers and she needed to drop whatever she was doing to attend them. There was nothing but a warm bed, the warm embrace from one of her partners and the end of a very strange day. One that had started in a great note and ended in a way that left a bitter taste in the back of her mouth.

The scalding water eased her sore muscles and stiff shoulders, but didn’t exactly ease her mind. It kept running over every single thing that had happened in the last few hours. She had arrived home once more. She had been happy at that time, still reeling from an afternoon spent kissing and talking to all the girls she was in love with. She had been yelled at, called names and threatened to do extra chores just for the sake of it, just for the fact that she had been out until around 9 pm, even if her homework was done.

She had lost it at some point and yelled back, gotten herself out of all the closets and out of the house as well, even if nothing about her being kicked out of home had been said. And Rowan, sweet Rowan had accompanied her, so they were both homeless even though the place they had been calling home for the last few years had been nothing but.

In a sense, hadn’t they been homeless for a while then?

She almost fell asleep right there and then, until the water from the bathtub cooled down and she was almost left shivering. By the time she stepped back into the lush, ample room that was pretty much bigger than her living room back at the house from hell, someone had unpacked her bags and placed things in sensible corners. School notebooks and textbooks were on the table, clothes and school uniforms she had had the presence of mind to throw into the pack were in the wardrobe and her pegasus plushie was over the mattress, which had been changed to a light blue set and had an extra duvet added to it. 

And just beside the pegasus there was a small handwritten note in Edelgard’s calligraphy that said: 

_I hope you are ok with me organizing your things, I just didn’t want you to have to do anything else after the shower. I’m here for you and Rowan, always. You are free to knock on my door if you need anything._

_I hope you get some rest, Ingie._

_I care about you, dearly._

_Edelgard_

If everything about that setting, about how comfortable and relieving it was to just lie down and hug her pegasus plush weren’t enough for one too many emotions to make another well of tears to sting her eyes, the note really sealed the deal. The second Ingrid collapsed on the mattress and covered herself up to her chin she let herself be, fully weeping, sobbing and hoping that no one next door was able to hear any of it. 

* * *

“I… I think I’ll be home for today actually. If hm, if that’s ok.”

Edelgard’s eyes were soft when they met Ingrid’s dulled, sad emerald ones after that declaration was made. Morning had come with a cold breeze and they were having breakfast at the dining room table, sharing it with Fiona and an equally downcast Rowan, who nodded at it and turned to get more bread from the enormous basket to their side. 

“Don’t force yourself, sis,” they said, slathering it with almond butter and wondering just for one second if the Hresvelg sisters wouldn’t think them too much of a glutton for doing that. Rowan could barely remember a time when they had had something other than an apple or dry bread to start the day with; even last night’s dinner of carbonara pasta had felt amazing to someone who had been living off of soup as it was. 

“Yes, no need to go and face the world if you’d rather stay here,” Fiona agreed, beaming at Rowan and how happy they looked with the food. She had really liked them so far and was doing her best to crack some jokes here and there in order to see them smile, though her fear of using the wrong pronouns as it had already happened sometimes made her edit herself a bit. “And you’re welcome to try El’s gaming selection, Dana’s books and my makeup stuff if you want to.”

“Wow, you have really caused an impression on my little sister I see,” Edelgard played along, eyeing her partner more than actually eating herself. Ingrid had been playing with a croissant for the last few minutes but had yet to take a bite, though she understood very well what stress could do to one’s appetite. “She never lets anyone get near her precious treasures, also known as her makeup stash.”

“Pfff you’re too bad with it to actually be trusted with my things,” Fiona stuck out her tongue in retaliation, making Rowan lightly chuckle at it “Also, pass me the cake. Please,” she added when her sister raised an eyebrow at her, as she always did when her words sounded more like an order.

“No, it is within your reach anyways,” Edie shook her head, offering a slice to Ingrid before setting it down again when it was denied with a shake of the head. “Get it yourself.”

“But you have two hands and should put them to use!” Fiona whined; this time even Ingrid cracked a small smile at their antics, at how similar they could be to her and Rowan.

Her beam turned into a chuckle once her sibling beat Edelgard to an answer and said, “but she needs her two hands to hold Ingrid’s, Byleth’s and Dorothea’s so yeah. I think that’s a better use to them, but here.” They got the plate holding the simple chocolate cake and passed it to Fiona instead, watching as their older siblings blushed and looked away.

“You know what, that’s valid and I agree but only this once. And only if you really hold their hands properly, Edelgard.” She cut a slice of cake and put it on Rowan’s plate instead, then got another one for herself. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Edelgard snapped back, even though there was a smile on her face all the same. One that vanished the second she turned again to the blonde and tentatively held her hand for the time being.

She wished there was something else she could do, something she could say that would make her feel even the slightest bit better. But nothing came to mind, neither then nor during the night she had spent mostly awake and pondering over the issue alongside Byleth. Apparently the taller girl liked staying up until late playing games and watching cartoons, but hadn’t managed to do either after getting more news about Ingrid and on what had happened at the Galatea household.

Byleth’s last words to her before they had decided to call it a night and get some rest echoed in her mind right then; they were more than sound advice and rang true, though it neither solved the issue nor granted them any peace. 

_“Give her some time and space to adapt to these things. Like, those were real big changes that happened waaaaay too fast. Can’t imagine what it’d be like to be out of a home though, so there’s that. But Ingie’s strong and will come around when she can. We gotta trust her. Also, thanks for having her :)”_

Edelgard shook her head, simply watched her sister and Rowan get to their feet, announce that they were both going to school and that the driver had agreed to take Rowan to their place before going to Garreg Mach high as well. And oh, shouldn’t El get a move on if she was intending to get to school on time for first period?

That was what made her realize she didn't even have her own breakfast since she had been too busy making sure Ingrid was ok or would be ok if she were to leave. Which made her wonder, then ask before she ended up saying something that would make the blonde tense instead of relax: “Would you rather be left alone? I can stay with you if you’d like, too.”

“I…” Ingrid glanced at the floor, glad that their siblings were already on their way out of the mansion, too far to hear that whispered exchange. “It’s bad enough that I’m imposing on you like that,” she muttered after a few seconds of silence, caressing Edelgard’s small hand on hers. It was so soft in comparison; she hated the way hers might feel rough and awful to the other girl. “You don’t need to change your routine and get in trouble because of me.”

“It won’t be any trouble, really. I believe we deserve a little bit of a holiday after those tests; we had two days off at Wilhelm and I miss them,” El retorted with a soft beam, hoping it was enough to reassure her it would be ok. “Don’t worry about me right now… sweetheart.” The word felt good on her lips, even more so when that made the blonde turn to look at her with wide, grateful eyes. “You are more than welcome to let me know what you need. If you need anything, that is.”

For a second there was no response and Edelgard was pretty sure Ingrid was working out the words to let her know it’d be better if one of them went to school. However, she was surprised by sudden movement and two arms enveloping her in a hug, pulling her so close her head was resting against the blonde’s chest, Ingie's cheek over El’s soft brown hair that smelled sweet after being washed before breakfast.

“Would… would you stay?” Ingrid mumbled, holding on to the smaller girl a little stronger than she knew she should. 

Usually she would be the first to take the opportunity to be alone, even more so if that involved her parents going out and letting her and Rowan be. She had always stayed at home when given the chance, then blasted some songs from her mobile while doing whatever had been asked of her as payback for her not tagging along with the adults. She'd solve the issue as fast as she could so she would be free to lie down in bed and stare at the ceiling, take a nap, play some more or just be who she was without people judging and staring at her as if she were something ridiculous.

Yet she wasn’t at the awful Galatea household anymore and had been respected after some initial consideration from the Hresvelg siblings. She had been saluted with warm good mornings when she got out of bed, not orders to set the table and make coffee and the insults that went with those. She had been able to sit with the others instead of having to wait until her father was done, wash his dishes and make sure his clothes didn’t need to be pressed before he got out to work - only to then sit down and get whatever he hadn’t eaten, making sure Rowan had more than enough to not go hungry.

And what was the most important thing ever, being alone meant staying a day without company in the impressive, but too big Hresvleg mansion, feeling like an intruder and probably moping around doing nothing. Sure, going to school would solve both issues at once, but her will to look at numbers and facts all day was more negative than her love for math and she could do without having to deal with her classmates and volleyball team afterwards. Too much had changed too soon and she felt vulnerable, unsure of herself and what that meant for her future too.

How her new routine would be like, how she was supposed to cope with the fact that she was free from it all even though her father’s words and her mother’s reproachful glares still echoed in her mind and heart. So for that, in order to fulfill the empty space and empty time she would have ahead of her from then on, she fiercely held on to the one thing, the one person giving her a sense of stability in that moment and timidly asked her to stay.

For once, she decided she would be the selfish brat her parents had always accused her of being, though she felt guilty about the request the moment it left her mouth, almost wished that Edelgard hadn’t heard it. 

“Of course, Ingrid.” Edelgard had heard it though, hugging her partner back as strongly as she could if that meant giving her any comfort. “Do you want me to call any of the others too? We can all assemble here for the day and take care of you.”

 _Take care of you._ The words sounded hollow and meaningless to the blonde for a few seconds, so much so that she just remained quiet and enjoyed the solace and warmth she was getting from that long hug. When she realized the house was silent and that it meant Rowan and Fiona had already left, she wondered how weird they would look to any of the people who worked at the mansion, two teenage girls ditching school and embracing in the middle of the vast dining room, food untouched and sad looks on their eyes. 

A part of her wanted to make it even weirder by calling their… could they say they were a polycule? They had kissed, true, but were there any more requirements on the polycule checklist for that to become how they defined themselves as well? She didn’t know and wished she did. At least thinking about such matters was a lot better than focusing on how hellish her home life - or her lack of one - had become in nothing but a night.

In any case it was tempting to accept that and let Edelgard talk the others out of attending classes. Ingrid knew she too would be worried if something happened to any of them and she’d be the first to rush out of school to help in any possible or impossible way. It had been tough for her not to run to Dorothea’s house when El and Byleth had fought, even if it wouldn’t change much and she had indeed aided By in some form. However, now they were talking about her, about making her comfortable and taking care of her.

And this time, the last thing she wanted was to cause even more trouble as it was. Even if for some reason By and Thea were concerned about her too.

“Not today,” she answered with a slight shake of her head, more than grateful when that was received with a small nod. She kept to herself her real motivations for saying that, though, and went on: “I’d rather be by myself when I’m too sad, but this is also your house so I’m kinda…”

“Lost? That is completely understandable too and don’t feel like you have to justify yourself, ok?” Edelgard answered after pulling away so they could look at each other’s eyes. “I will just let them know they don’t have to wait for us and hopefully Dorothea will bully me into the end of the world by saying we were too busy in bed or - or something.”

Although Ingrid said that Thea wouldn’t, once they sat down side by side on the biggest couch in the living room with their mobiles in hand, they both laughed at Dorothea’s insinuation that they should rest and “stretch those achy limbs after so much exertion at night, just in case ;)”, while Byleth half sent laughing emojis, half told them it would all be good and she’d get their homeworks too, talk to the teachers and find some way to justify their absence (without using something like “they were too busy last night” as Thea suggested to make them laugh.)

It was a rather chill, dull and grey morning that mirrored Ingrid’s mood, making her grateful she had decided to stay at a home that wasn’t hers instead of braving the outside world as her mind kept pushing her to do. Edelgard was the first to reassure her that being away from others wasn’t the coward’s way out and she more than deserved the respite from everything, even more so from her mind if that was the sort of thing it was telling her.

“You are allowed to not feel good and to be sad, to not be productive or to spend all day doing absolutely nothing,” the smaller girl had said, even if she herself was one to do the exact opposite and get lost in one too many tasks to do. “And here you are free to do or not do whatever pleases you. We can play Fókken all day, watch cartoons and tease Byleth about them, or listen to Dorothea’s favorite songs and sing along, then send her some audios just to make her mad at us for messing up. Or we can lie down on the floor and stare at the ceiling, do nothing at all until it is time for us to go to sleep again.”

Ingrid realized as soon as she heard those options that she couldn’t recall the last time she had done something like that. The last time she had had enough time to just be and forget the world existed, to almost nap on the ground and not worry about consequences, about “wasting time” and not doing something others had told her to. What would a day without tasks other than school ones be like? She didn’t know and couldn’t remember, but suddenly there was something about it that made her take a full breath; it was also the moment she realized she hadn’t even been properly breathing as it was. 

And that there was something about that last option which sounded way too tempting to someone who had had to take care of hers and other people’s to-do lists for way too long.

“About… lying down on the floor,” she said in a sheepish way, reassured that it really was a valid option by how sweetly Edelgard smiled at her. 

“Come with me then. Although the living room sounds like a great place for us to do it, it is far too ample and a lot of people go around it as the day progresses,” the smaller girl said after getting to her feet, pulling Ingrid with her due to their joined hands. 

“Somehow I have a feeling Dorothea would be laughing right now if she heard what you said,” the blonde whispered when they started meandering to the stairs, smiling to herself since that made Edelgard chuckle. 

They helped each other up the stairs, as Ingrid’s muscles had seemingly turned to jelly overnight and El was simply El, prone to stumble once or twice on the steps anyways. They got to her room while discussing how Thea would react if they were to send that sentence without context in the chat room, especially if they did that in time for physics class, when Dorothea would naturally be more distracted.

Once Ingrid was waved into the room and stood in front of the closed door she stopped talking and instead stared at the decorations, the gaming system and the books on the stand with awe. It was all so Edelgard, but there was something about being in her quarters that felt too intimate, as if the blonde were seeing another side of the person she had kissed less than 24 hours ago.

“The rug is soft enough for us to lie down on it, but we can always get some comforters and pillows if you want,” El muttered, unsure about what to make of the surprised look on Ingrid’s face and the slightest tinge of embarrassment she felt within her own heart. Not only had she never had a partner, never had she brought one to her room as well; the sensation was something different and interesting, but neither bad nor overwhelming as it was. 

In the end Ingrid shook her head and beamed, waited for the smaller girl to lie down before she could do the same. The pristine white ceiling, the beautiful candelabrum that was turned off and the feeling of her partner’s hand on hers was everything that she knew for some minutes, the ones that were spent in silence and allowed her to finally relax some more. 

It was good to be with someone like that, to know there was a person who would be there for her even when she didn’t want to talk and silence was the kindest thing that could be given to her. It didn’t feel awkward at all and after a few seconds they drifted closer, Edelgard hugging Ingrid and cradling her head this time. 

The comfort, the setting, the relative peace, was just what she needed to let words she had never uttered before echo around the room and not only around her heart, breathing the fresh air they needed so she could heal.

With pauses and without being questioned, interrupted or doubted, Ingrid spoke about how her life had turned upside down after her father was caught doing some illicit business transactions while working at a bank. Surely he had been fired on the spot and told that he would be lucky if he ever found another place to work at so soon. Those words proved to be true as that incident had happened around nine years ago and he had never again been accepted into a bank, regardless of how "smart" he was or how "good with people" either. 

At first they had had enough to live in a rather luxurious fashion, but then her parents were awful spenders and had no idea on how to deal with money, how to plan and keep it coming instead of draining their reserves. So eventually that was what happened and they had needed to cut down on expenses, both of the adults working part time or at places that barely offered them minimum wage.

Ingrid was eight and Rowan five when they were given tasks to follow and tools to use after school was over, a broom and a duster since for then on they would be required to help and clean the house. That was also the moment in which Mr. Galatea remembered that religion was a thing and turned his eyes to the church and praying The more in trouble he was, the more religious he became and forced those beliefs down everyone's throats as well, no matter how they felt about it.

Those were the origins of the circumstances and the man that had pushed Ingrid to her limits and made Rowan suffer as well, no matter how young they were. The man who started talking about them getting rich suitors before they even knew what the word “suitors” meant, but abhorred it all the same the second they found out it meant marrying men with a fortune regardless of who they ever came to love.

In his quest for making sure the family (or rather he himself) had the necessary conditions to live a more than ok life, he had forgotten the kindness with which he had treated his children during those first few years. Unable to deal with his feelings he lashed out, trying his best to be the father that kept things under control at home since his entire life was completely out of control. 

And through that he pushed others aside, made his kids fear and loathe him instead of cultivating a relationship based on love, proclaiming with gestures and almost words that whatever wasn’t a replica of his creed wasn’t good enough to walk on this planet.

Edelgard held Ingrid though it all, her hands first caressing the blonde, then stilling and balling into fists the second Ingrid got into more details about her home life, the fact that she and Rowan had been cleaning that house everyday for too long. Though they also organized shelves and personal wardrobes, washed clothes and cooked to someone who was keen on letting them know how awful they were at the job. 

When a tear fell into Ingrid’s cheek she turned around and was contrite with the sadness that she saw etched on Edelgard’s face, one that made itself known on the amount of times she apologized, hugged and kissed the blonde. Or how she whispered that they deserved better, that it had never been their fault and that their father should be brought to justice for all he did to his kids.

“Nah, it’s ok,” Ingrid whispered against Edelgard’s school shirt, as she had kept the uniform on even while they were lying on the ground. “Mom needs him and in the end, we can’t stay at your place forever.”

“You can’t go back there, either. Not, not like this.” She patted Ingrid's back in slow, languid circles that managed to calm them both, to center them in the fact that they were in the Hresvelg mansion looking at the ceiling together, not in the company of that stupid man. “And if you ask me, even your mother deserves better than a person like him.”

“She does, I know. But in any case, I gotta see how to tackle that situation now. What to do once I’m back - I think I should go first and make sure things are fine for Rowan to return too and -”

“Hey, no.” Edelgard placed a kiss on her forehead, the denial made soft by that gesture. “While I’m sure Rowan appreciates it, they would like it even more if you were safe and sound, away from something that can harm you. Trust me, I might yell at Fiona more than anything but if she were going through a similar situation I would be the first to physically stop her from putting herself in harm’s way on my behalf. As I have done to Dana on several occasions.

“Please listen to me as I say this, since I am speaking from a different perspective and not just as… your partner. While it’s amazing and heartwarming to see you standing up for us younger siblings, it can become very scary to just watch. Especially in dangerous situations and those in which we’re sure we wouldn’t be able to defend you if something happened. In the end of the day we would rather have you around us no matter what so please, Ingrid, don’t willingly walk into that hellhole thinking you can and need to solve everything alone. Even if that is how things have been like for the last few years.”

Ingrid didn’t know what to say to that, how to respond to the emotions that she could feel in the smaller girl’s words, how they reverberated within her heart and made her understand exactly what it was that she was saying. It was better than feeling sorry for herself or thinking back to the last hours she had spent at the Galatea place, but not any less uncomfortable to know that maybe she was powerless to do something at that moment.

That maybe the best course of action was to wait and lie low or else things would get worse than they already were.

She sighed and nodded after a while, thanked Edelgard with a peck on her lips and closed her eyes, eventually falling asleep while trying to get used to the notion that she had done more than enough in the past.

That for now she would finally get the mental and physical rest that she deserved, even if at first those notions were strange to her and even unwelcome in some sense. Yet she would sit through the emotions and navigate them, navigate this strange new world in which she wasn’t being yelled at or required to do stuff. She wasn't alone anymore. She didn't have to defend everyone else and now could count on having help not only from Rowan but also from Edelgard, who told her to call her El once the morning was almost over and they decided to get something to eat after all.

There was indeed a better, lighter feeling in her heart once afternoon came and they were graced by Byleth and Dorothea, who surrounded the two in a tight hug and showered Ingrid with kisses, threats to her father and promises that they would figure things out together.

Together. The word echoed inside her entire being, offering her a new realm of possibilities that had seemingly not been at her disposal before. And as they laughed, hugged, kissed and fooled around until the afternoon turned into night, Ingrid realized there was more to life than her parents and their antics, that she really had three amazing partners that she could count on, girls who were sticking around even if that was a new low her life had never been at before. 

That the night wasn’t as dark and cold with those three bodies pressing against hers, their words of solace, support and help shining brighter than any star in the sky above.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter had a different, more fast-paced outline to it when it came to how Ingrid dealt with her feelings and all. But given all that happens she does deserve the time to really feel it and then move on, right? So next chapter we'll have more on that, with Ingrid getting the rest she wants - and some funnier scenes as well!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed it and thank you for reading! Have a great week :3


	15. Rerun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ingrid stays alone in the Hresvelg mansion and confronts her feelings with her girlfriends' help.
> 
> Some conversations happen and amendments are made as they find out more about themselves and each other.

Ingrid was no stranger to days in which she wanted to do absolutely nothing at all. Days when she lacked the motivation to open her eyes and face the world, to get out of bed and see if there was something for Rowan to eat. Yet she would sigh, shake her head and ignore the feeling, the will to stay in bed and watch the hours pass by in front of her listless eyes. 

After all it wasn’t as if she even had a choice to begin with; not because of school or her friends haranguing her until she left home. No, it had always been because of her parents and their myriad tasks for her, the endless list of things she was supposed to know and do in order to avoid being scolded - and even so, perfectly doing all the chores in the world wasn’t a guarantee that she wouldn’t be yelled at anyways. 

She was also the oldest sister and had to watch over her sibling no matter what. Not that Rowan had ever asked that of her, far from it. But her mind wouldn’t let her rest if there was the smallest possibility their parents would be mean to them in any possible way. 

And so those reasons, albeit not motivations per se, were what she clung to whenever her mind, body or both protested against moving, against facing another day and having to deal with the world at large. 

As a result Ingrid was a complete stranger to not having a to-do list affixed to her mind, her planner or the calendar that she used to keep over her table since her parents were completely unable to remember their own assignments and she had been the one to do so. She had no idea what it was to actually stay in bed on days that she didn’t feel like participating in life as a general thing. What it meant to not be around annoyed adults who couldn’t handle their own emotions and ended up screaming at her to get up because she had more to do than stay in bed all day like the lazy person she was. What it was like, not having to worry that Rowan would be yelled at for no reason, that they would be overtaxed with chores and tasks that weren’t even their responsibility to tend to. 

Yet for the first time in what felt like forever, there were no such tasks. 

Yet for the first time in what felt like always, there were no parents, no yells, no nothing that could stop her from actually getting the rest she wanted.

And what was more? For the first time in her life she was actually cared for instead of having to care for others. 

That morning in which Ingrid ended up skipping classes and spending the day with Edelgard in the Hresvelg mansion turned out to be only the first in a series of days that she ended up staying indoors. Once Wednesday arrived and she was startled into wakefulness by the sound of her shrill phone alarm, she groaned, turned it off and tried her best to go back to sleep. When Edelgard softly knocked on the room and checked on her, she hugged the smaller girl and said she would be home again, but by no means did she want El to miss another day of school because of her. They cuddled a little bit on the mattress, Ingrid’s head lying on Edelgard’s chest, then talked in hushed tones about some gaming news they had received recently, how there would be more and more Fókken tourneys starting soon in preparations for regionals.

Yet after a while, after asking if the blonde would really be ok and if she could try to relax, Edelgard gave her a last, sweet peck on the cheek before getting to her feet and walking away, straightening the uniform on her way to the door. Ingrid was told she was more than welcome to message them whenever and do whatever she wanted around the house, though cleaning was completely off limits - the punishment for such a treason, as El explained in a soft voice, would be not getting any more kisses until next week. 

When Ingrid finally left the room on that day it was almost lunch time and she was surprised to find a complete, silver breakfast tray that had long gone cold in front of the door and a small note in Edelgard’s calligraphy telling her to please take care of herself.

She smiled at that, though that was pretty much the only time she did beam in that day. It would be tough to stay there without Edelgard to keep her company or Rowan for that matter, to the point that she wondered if going to school wouldn’t have been better than staying in a house that wasn’t her own and having absolutely nothing to do as well. Yes, she could always organize her stuff, deal with the homework she had gotten from yesterday’s classes and try figuring out how she was supposed to answer questions on subjects that were mostly new to her.

There was also the matter of studying physics, but she would rather clean the entire Hresvelg mansion than see one equation in front of her at that moment in time. 

She took to wandering up and down the house, looking at every nook and cranny. No matter where she glanced at there was something beautiful and glittery, well-kept and impressive. Decorations flooded the house and came in different forms, from small trinkets, paintings and family portraits to bouquets of both fake and actual flowers displayed on each and every existing table. 

And what was more, there wasn’t one speck of dust in any of it, nor dirty fingertips, empty plastic bags, crumbs or any sign of messiness around. That didn’t happen only because the people who worked at the mansion were really throughout, but she had seen how meticulous the siblings were - maybe not so much Fiona, but Edelgard was one for going over discarded objects, making sure nothing was left behind or out of their respective places. 

Maybe for other people that would be nothing important, just an afterthought or a logical conclusion since the house would be filthy if the children didn’t watch over their own belongings. However, for someone like her that had pretty much grown up having to clean after others who didn’t really care about it, such a place was akin to paradise indeed. Those thoughts made her company through the silent morning and early afternoon, as she settled down at the living room for the time being and curled up with her phone, occasionally messaging her girlfriends and closing her eyes until her mobile buzzed with an answer.

As much as she knew it was better for her to be there than facing school, her mind also wavered, tossing and turning against itself as feelings resurfaced, stronger than ever since they were on full display upon an empty room, an empty heart. And yes, she knew she couldn’t run away from the inadequacy she was experiencing from the mere fact that she was being cared for by people who weren’t her family, or the sense of uselessness and guilt since she had dragged Rowan into this too. 

However, one of the worst parts of it all was wondering what would happen next. What her future would be like since right then she was depending on Edelgard’s good graces- and who knew how long that would persist anyways. She had no way to literally pay back for her kindness, or to afford her own things so she wouldn’t be a burden to the Hresvelgs. Not to mention her sibling, who was also there and entirely her responsibility to deal with. 

It was awful, it was despairing. It was terrible, that all of that had occured because her father had no sense of self or of how to treat others with respect. And for that last reason, it really, really sucked that she was having to depend on her partners’ help for basic things such as food and water and a place to sleep. 

Even if she knew that complaining wouldn’t help or change anything, she did what Dorothea had told her to the day before and allowed herself to feel whatever she was feeling. Her eyes closed and she almost laid down on the couch, but there was no rest or sleep while she let her thoughts roam freely. Her expression changed accordingly, as was normal in anyone who was feeling things, but she couldn’t recall the last time she hadn’t had to tell herself not to react or show any emotion because her parents could and more than likely would use it against her. 

So when rage against the entire world (or almost) took her over, it really did so in a way that she didn’t think she had ever experienced before. She paced around furiously, climbed upstairs and went to her room just so she could keep on walking without the maids and butlers looking at her in a weird way. She wanted to do something, to be useful, to find a solution that wouldn’t involve any more heartache. They had had enough already, Rowan and she, but couldn’t also keep living at other people’s expenses - even if Edelgard said it was ok, within herself it just didn’t sound right.

But anger was a caged animal, one which saw no hope that it would get to experience the outside world again. Once her mind came up empty and had no ideas as to what she could do to reverse that situation she fell to the ground, over the plush rug that Edelgard had transferred to her room. Eyes glued on the ceiling and the intricate patterns that were part of the candelabra, Ingrid slowly felt herself changing, falling within deep waters instead of running against the current, against all that seemed to oppose her. Then and only then did she end up slumbering after fatigue became too much for her to deal with.

After her thoughts, the sadness and the echo of one too many accusations became too much for her to deal with. 

She woke up again to the sound of knocking on her room door, needing a moment to understand where she was and what had happened. Light slanted through the open windows, letting her know it was way past afternoon and she had slept through lunch - though the breakfast tray had remained untouched as well. Her eyes blinked in rapid succession for a few seconds as she looked for what had caused that noise, then yelped in surprise once someone called to her once more.

“Ingrid?” The voice was soft and gentle and unmistakably Byleth’s, which made the blonde frown and stir on the floor, getting to a sitting position. “Can I come in?”

Wincing at the fact that she probably looked like a mess and didn’t want her partners to see her like that, she had half a mind to deny the request and ask if they couldn’t give her a moment (or half an hour at the very least) for her to become more presentable. Then she recalled that they had already witnessed her sorry state yesterday and decided she had had enough keeping up with appearances.

If they wanted to judge her for it, as her parents had done one too many times before, so be it. “Yeah, go on,” she mumbled, then repeated it a little louder after clearing her throat.

Somehow she had it in her mind that all of the three would be there, that they’d storm the room and tell her to get her act together, that people needed her. That she had a house to sweep and dishes to clean, homework to do and not one, but two days of school now to catch up with or something along these lines. Later on she would frown and shake her head at her own self for even considering that the girls would say things like that, as they weren’t like her folks at the slightest.

But a lifetime of being told to get up and tackle chores instead of allowing one’s emotions to be manifested really had gotten to her, something that she realized right then when Byleth and only Byleth showed up, a smile in face that didn’t waver when she saw Ingrid. 

And instead of the words of reprimand that she had expected to hear she got a warm, long hug after the newcomer let go of her backpack near the door and sat down on the floor with her. It was easy to let go, to cast her arms around the other girl, to nuzzle her neck and forget about everything else, even about talking for a few seconds or so. A few seconds of respite in the company of another that seemed to understand or at least care for her feelings.

There were so many new things that had started happening in such little time, Ingrid wasn’t really sure she could keep up with them. Yet at least in that small moment of rest she could allow herself to honor the gratitude she was experiencing right then for the girls that were supporting her. And being sad didn’t mean she wouldn’t let them know how much she adored them too.

“How are you?” The blonde asked in a small voice once she pulled away from their hug, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

“I’m good, it was an ok day too. But we missed you in class today and Dorothea had to fill in for you in the poly department. When Hanneman asked why she was having such a tough time with logarithms she said the only cool thing in math are the nomials that are poly,” Byleth said, chuckling, more than glad that it brought a small and amused smile to Ingrid’s face. “I’ve never seen him look so lost in the entire time he’s been teaching us.”

“A math teacher looking lost, that must have been something yeah,” Ingrid shook her head, lacing her fingers with Byleth’s. “And what about PE? Volleyball pract- wait, what time is it?”

It was possible to see how the other girl was trying her best not to laugh too much at Ingrid's surprised, almost scared expression. There was a slight smirk on her face that turned into a relieved smile once she answered it. “It’s almost three, Ingie. Professor Tomás was nowhere to be found today and I decided to ditch volleyball practice to come and see you. Edelgard stayed with Dorothea and gave me the keys, said I should beat her sister and your sibling here as well.

“We were uh… kinda worried because you stopped answering messages and Dorothea and I didn’t really buy it when Edelgard said you were probably asleep so yeah, I came to check on you.” Her face was burning, though she was actually trying to hide how concerned they all were about the entire thing. 

Though probably the better word for it was freaked out; they had almost been unable to pay attention to class after a while, with Dorothea and Byleth looking behind themselves to see if they could catch one small glimpse of an Ingrid that wasn’t even there to begin with - and had gone too silent on their group chat (which had been renamed as “ _the best polycule in Garreg Mach high/city”_ on Monday afternoon).

Since Dorothea would rather not be left alone in the café while fretting over their partner, as she had been doing all day and would only relax once she could see Ingrid again, they decided to split up in that way. That was what Byleth patiently explained while the blonde nodded, eyes wide in utmost surprise at all that she could sense from those sentences alone. 

That someone would go out of their way to help her was already something unfathomable, used as she was to shouldering most things and keeping in mind that it was her responsibility to do so. To know that three someones were doing exactly that, though Byleth shrugged and said it was a natural thing to do since they loved her, resulted in her blushing so much and freezing in a way that made the other girl wonder if the blonde didn’t need some medical attention.

“N-no, I’m fine,” Ingrid answered with a soft smile, once she was shaken awake by Byleth snapping her fingers in front of her eyes. “Only… realizing some stuff about myself that isn’t really fun.”

“About your parents?” The question was small, reluctant. The last thing she wanted was to make the blonde even sadder than she looked at that moment. “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, but also I’m here if you do.”

She liked that, the fact she could choose something for herself. Even if it was something as small as deciding whether or not she wanted to share about her feelings, emotions she had finally been allowed to experience at the fullest. Although a part of her was unsure if that was even needed, if talking would be helpful or just end up making her rub salt in the wound, she recalled how freeing it had felt to tell Edelgard about her past. Yes, it hadn’t really brought a solution to her issues, but it had given her enough space to breathe and some to think better about things she had ignored for too long.

And to realize, though she had probably known it all along, that one of the things she had ignored for far too long was herself. 

After she nodded, Byleth told her to sit down on the bed while she took her backpack, then beamed in a mischievous way when she took snack after snack from it. Everything from chips, the biggest chocolate bars one could imagine, pretzels, cookies and small cupcakes, to the point that Ingrid was wondering if the pack wasn’t a portal to snackland or something of the sorts since there was no humanly way she had fit everything in one single pocket with her school stuff in there too. 

Byleth laughed at that and said she had left her notebooks and pencil case with Edelgard since she wanted to get the blonde something good to eat. At first they did so in silence, Ingrid smiling as she watched the other girl chew through handful after handful of the spicy chips she had gotten them (a family sized pack, of course). It started slow, but eventually she reached for some of the snacks and gradually began speaking about some of the things that had been in her mind as of recently. 

At some point they heard the front door open and two sets of laughter which announced that Fiona and Rowan were back. The blonde stiffened for a second, her mind responding to the sound and making her get to her feet, envisioning herself picking up a broom so she and her sibling could clean the house while their parents loafed around as always. 

Only to fall back on the bed, deflated, when Byleth arched an eyebrow at her because of it. 

“You see? It’s stuff like this too, ugh. I was just thinking about how it was time to clean since Rowan’s back and I hate it. I hate that that’s my response to a stupid sound,” the blonde huffed, plopping another cookie in her mouth and trying not to notice how many crumbs were over the bed, or how many discarded wrappings made a rug around them - and that she would have to deal with all of them later.

As if reading her mind Byleth started gathering the trash which was closer to her. “I'll deal with this ok, don’t worry about it and it’s my mess more than anything else.”

“Not that it would matter back where I came from, it would still be my duty to clean it,” Ingrid commented, forlorn. Even more so since the door opened again to another set of siblings and her body tensed once more. “How long until this stops?”

Byleth gave her a sad smile, then sat closer to her on the bed and enveloped her in a gentle embrace. Her voice was just as tender, though her heart painfully squeezed at all that the blonde had shared with her - even if she had more than just a notion of what was going on in the Galatea household, it was something else to hear some of the details that Ingie had kept away from them for a while.

“You have to give it some time, be patient and not judge yourself even though that’s tough. Yeah, your parents did tell you that expressing emotions was wrong, basically anyways. And yeah, you’re just now realizing how much you’ve been conditioned to think about yourself in a certain way and to act in some form that isn’t how you want to. That doesn’t mean you aren’t amazing though.” Byleth pulled away a little and placed a peck on Ingrid’s forehead, smiling when that was received by a small blush. “And I’m happy you decided to share this with me too, so thank you. 

“But please, don’t be your worst enemy or harshest critic. You deserve the time and the space to heal and we’ll be here for you in every step of the way, so don’t think any less of yourself because of all that trauma, ok?” 

The blonde was speechless, unsure of how to answer that, what would be an appropriate thing to say. In the end her mind went with something not as good and she humorlessly chuckled before muttering, “well, if we were to make an awful joke about it, one could say I’m… _poly_ traumatized.”

Byleth huffed, shaking her head at the reply. “You’re terrible,” she whispered back, though there was a grin on her lips that let her know everything was fine. 

That everything would be fine given time, space and lots of love and understanding like Ingrid deserved to get.

That everything was already fine since she had all the support from Rowan and Fiona, who teased her and Byleth to no end once they went to check on the blonde and realized that not only she wasn’t alone, but the two had consumed the best food ever and left close to nothing for others. Their whining, pouting and almost stomping around while demanding that next time they should “think of the children” made Ingrid laugh more than she had all day. Even more so when she saw how her sibling and Edelgard’s sister were getting along well, sowing chaos as they should. 

They were kids after all, right? And should be having fun instead of dealing with domestic things all the time, so she was more than grateful for Fiona’s help when it came to Rowan - she couldn’t remember the last time she had seen them snickering and saying stupid things like that, apart from those nights in which they had called Ingrid hopeless when it came to being polyamorous. 

In the end she was mostly able to loosen up when Edelgard and Dorothea joined the impromptu party in her quarters, hugging her, giving her plenty of pecks. That didn’t stop even when the younger siblings said they should stop the public display of affection and “think of the children”, though they were smiling and visibly happy at seeing all the love between those four.

So it was really a shame that Dorothea and Byleth had to go as dinner was served, though they were able to hang out, do some homework together and let Ingrid know they would be more than happy to help her with school stuff as well. It was a sweet ending to what had started as a too emotional day, one that seemed lost given how much she had ended up sleeping as well.

The girls had reassured her it was more than normal for her to feel tired after so many years of working nonstop for people that didn’t recognize it. That _she_ should recognize it and honor herself, her own needs instead of how others disregarded them. Even so, Ingrid was surprised when she fell on the bed and actually slept as soon as she closed her eyes, though the most she had done on that day was a bit of homework.

Maybe she should have expected things not to go as smoothly this time around; she woke up again at 1 a.m. and this time couldn’t stay still, everything becoming too much at once. The house and the neighborhood were silent, but too silent since she could hear her thoughts and heartbeat even. It was completely dark, but too dark and she could barely see her own hand when she placed it in front of her eyes. The mattress was comfortable, but too big for her and too far away from the wall - how was she supposed to sleep when there was all that empty space and just her in there?

And yet again her mind decided it was time to torment her with thoughts of how improper she was, which made her groan and feel around where she supposed the bedside table was until she found her phone. That was when she saw the time and huffed, shaking her head. Not that Ingrid had ever kept a sleep schedule before, but surely lying around doing nothing all day had completely screwed it up.

What was worse, as time passed it all became too much for her to bear; looking at Hooter for something funny didn’t help at all, especially when she ended up finding more and more news about the coming tourneys instead. Those filled her with a mixture of anticipation and horror, though Ingrid didn’t even know why. It wasn’t as if she should be thinking about competing right then, not when her life was so completely in shambles and she could barely focus on homework to begin with.

Looking sideways at the unfamiliar room was no help either, even with the mobile light to show her where things were. Ingrid was restless, but it would be bad if she went downstairs to wander around the house until she got tired- as she usually did when it happened, wouldn’t it? What if one of Edelgard’s siblings found her and thought she was a ghost for a second? The older children were still a bit weary when it came to her; if one of them were to see her around, she would probably be exorcised in the name of Sothis above before she could open her mouth to explain. 

But staying in her own room wasn’t helping either, what with how her mind was going around in circles as to what she could do. 

That went on until her eyes fell on the phone and more specifically, on the group chat with the other girls. After opening the app she caught herself staring at their pictures, her mind somehow clearing for a second as she beamed, remembering them, their own little quirks that she loved so much.

How Byleth would pat her on the shoulders and give her a kiss on the cheek when she understood a concept they were studying together.

How beautiful Dorothea’s smile was, how insightful her comments on any given situation would be and how she would always throw in a last snarky retort as a conclusion in order to make people laugh.

How Edelgard’s eyes silently read her emotions and offered her peace even without a touch, though Ingrid loved nothing more than holding and caressing her.

How Edelgard was so close, maybe she could have a little of that peace if she were to ask. And how that was a solution to her issues in ways that would be more than ideal given the situation she was in. The only thing she needed to do was to get permission from the others, though she and Edelgard had already hugged and stayed a little in bed before. 

Without really thinking or seeing what she was doing, her mind more focused on the idea of having Edelgard beside her as soon as possible so she could possibly rest, Ingrid selected Byleth’s and Dorothea’s (and unknown to her, Edie’s) contacts on the app and added them to a new group, which she called “25 a.m. ramblings, aka awake at 1 a.m.” then wondered if at least one of them was up to begin with since it was rather late.

_Ingrid: Hey, I don't know if you’re here but I wanted to ask something._

_Byleth: Why the new group tho, we could just add this channel to the current one._

_Ingrid: Ah you see it’s about Edelgard. I’m really grateful that she’s having me and Rowie over and she was super sweet with the entire thingie. Like fighting her brother and all._

_Byleth: Yes but_

_Ingrid: But this house is too big, too silent and too dark and I’m losing my mind right here, I can’t sleep right now_

_Byleth: Ingrid_

_Dorothea: Go on, honey, what would you like to ask us and Edie can’t hear?_

_Byleth: But_

_Ingrid: I think having Edelgard here would help me or else this’ll be a sorry night. We can all agree she’s a calming presence, eapecially when someone doesn’t tell her that silver looks good on her. So yeah uh, would you mind if I told her to come over?_

She waited for the answer with bated breath, wondering why Byleth hadn’t said anything other than that and why Dorothea was sending rows and rows of laughing emojis after that question. She frowned and was about to ask what was wrong, if she had made the joke a little bit too soon (especially when Byleth responded to that with a facepalming emote) when she saw a different name typing in chat.

One that made her yelp and blush since it shouldn’t be there to begin with.

_Edelgard: I do understand that this place can be rather too stiff and quiet at times and I’m sorry you are having trouble sleeping. Do you want me to go over if everyone else is ok with it?_

After a while (the time it took for Dorothea and Byleth to stop sending laughing emojis and finally say they were ok with it) Ingrid turned off her phone and covered her head with a pillow out of embarrassment. Her shoulders tensed when there was a small knock on her door and her voice was equally tiny as she told the other girl to come in. 

“So you think I’m a calming presence?” Edie teased, sitting on the edge of the bed, hand curling over the pillow that was still over the blonde’s face. “You are entirely too adorable, Ingrid.”

“Please stop, don’t pull a Dorothea on me right now.” Her words were half muffled by the cushion, half distorted with her wish to just disappear or not have caused that scene so late at night. She knew they would mock her to no end the next day. 

Even so she allowed the pillow to be taken away from her and blushed even brighter the second Edelgard lied down beside her, covering both of them with the duvets since it was rather cold, especially given that the smaller girl was wearing a simple white nightdress that went all the way to her feet. Ingrid immediately hugged her and brought her closer, hiding her face in Edelgard’s neck as she did so. Only to sigh in relief when a gentle hand began petting her hair. 

“Sorry I insulted your house, it’s an amazing place and I’m grateful to be here, I- I swear! It’s just that hm I woke up and -” The blonde stammered, squirming a little under the girl’s touch until a soft giggle reached her ears.

“It is all ok, Ingie,” El whispered, shushing and pressing her closer for comfort. “We just want you to rest and get some sleep too, don’t worry about anything else.” Then in a lower, almost confidential tone she went on, “I too think this house is a lot, though I am grateful it has room for you and Rowan. Fiona is absolutely delighted with them and I like having you here.”

Something about that sentence made Ingrid relax once more as it shut the incessant voice in her head that loved saying how much of an inconvenience she and her sibling were to the Hresvelgs. That it could even make Edelgard pull away from her - who wanted to be with a lazy person anyways?

So it was good to hear that it wasn’t the case, that her presence was more than welcomed there. And gradually she gave into the hug, the warmth that was coming from one of her partners and how much better she felt with someone beside her in that huge bed. 

“Thank you, Edelgard. This means a lot to me and even though you said I didn’t need to solve everything on my own I swear I’ll do everything in my power to -”

“You really don’t have to, sweetheart,” she said in a small, thoughtful whisper that made Ingrid’s cheeks burn even more, to the point she was grateful they were in darkness. “I will always be here for you and I know that Dorothea and Byleth also share this feeling.

"And hm… please call me El. It’s what the people closest to me call me and well… you are definitely… Ah, you know what I mean.”

There was no way not to chuckle at how shyness manifested itself in Edelgard’s demeanor differently, yet also in an endearing way. She placed a hand on the small girl’s back and caressed it slowly, a way to let her know without words that everything was ok. There was something warm within Ingrid's chest as well at the mention of the name and it made her smile, dissolving the last of the anxiety that had taken her over for the last few minutes. 

“El,” Ingrid tried, enjoying the sound of it and how it made the other girl smile against her hair too. “Thank you, El.”

Again it was a night which ended up a lot better than it had begun, the warmth slowly and surely cradling her heart more and more as the days went by. It was a slow process and they knew it should be, but it already helped to dispel the coldness that had been there for so long, Ingrid hadn’t even noticed it creeping in and taking her over to begin with.

* * *

In the end school had been too much to think about come the next morning as well - given how it was already Thursday by then, the entire polycule agreed it would be better not to force Ingrid to do anything and allow her to take the week off. She more than needed the rest after all she had been through and not only on Monday, but during the last few years of her life.

It didn’t mean she felt any better about it, even though the girls started sending her pictures of the whiteboard and their notebooks so she could take her own notes on the subjects. That at least gave her something else to do instead of simply loafing around and sleeping until past lunchtime, though she did end up falling asleep a few times in front of her mobile and was woken by her phone buzzing a little bit too much for her liking, which happened because it was break and the girls were trying to talk to her - resorting to sending each a letter of her name until she eventually answered.

Being included in the conversation also aided a lot so she wouldn’t feel lonely in the huge Hresvelg mansion; she had also taken a seat in the living room instead of her own secluded quarters and even made some small talk with the people who worked at the house in between copying lines and answering messages, laughing at Dorothea’s antics and the pictures they sent of each other around the courtyard, fooling around and making fun of each other in some way. And although part of her even wondered if she should have attended class after all, whenever she got any sight of their classmates it was enough for her to know it wasn’t so. That she was fine with her partners’ company but not anyone else’s. 

In any case, at least she could say she got a taste of what online education would be like, especially when Byleth decided to be sneaky and start a video call with her, then point it at the whiteboard before changing it to voice chat so she could have the pleasure of following an amazing biology class featuring her favorite topic ever, the _poly_ genic genes.

She told them to make sure they healed Edelgard properly after PE was done for - though Ladislava had mostly been assigning El some easier movements, they still managed to make her fall and injure herself in some way or another. Ingrid laughed with them when it was time for Brigidian class and half of the room had no idea what that new grammar point was, whereas Dorothea, Byleth and Edelgard aced it at first - the blonde knew she would also struggle a little bit more, but at least she had not one, not two, but three people to rely on for help when it came to that. And when Friday came, she groaned almost loud enough for Hanneman to hear her the second he announced they would have a little quiz on Monday and should complete some papers he was going to send them, in addition to the homework that was already assigned.

Only to almost cry when pretty much every single teacher did the same thing and the one certainty the students could have was that they would spend the entire weekend pouring over books and the internet, then complaining about it on Hooter and probably making some sort of tag trend worldwide (#ChillWeJustHadExams had been really famous a few years ago and kind of deserved the comeback).

That afternoon, their main chat group name changed once more, now to _polyexams from hell._

Thursday and Friday were spent in Edelgard’s company since Ladislava had pretty much almost begged Byleth not to miss volleyball practices because she was always a huge help with the younger members - and couldn’t she talk Ingrid into showing up for them as well? The sentiment was appreciated once Byleth told her of how the coach had praised Ingrid to high heavens, as it felt very good to be missed by an adult and admired by her talents on the court instead of being called names since she wasn’t attending or performing as well as she should.

Nevertheless she stayed home, made a mental note to thank the coach when she got back and enjoyed some time with El, the smaller girl helping a lot with homework and whatever she hadn’t understood during class. There was always more than enough time left for them to do something fun later on and they played some video games with the others online; Dorothea and Byleth had decided not to impose so much, as the last thing they wanted was to become hated by the oldest Hresvelg siblings.

On Friday they tried baking, though Edelgard proved to be really lost when it came to cooking and Ingrid was more than happy to help and teach her. And maybe that, alongside the rest she had gotten from the outside world, the lack of contact with people that had been so toxic to her without her noticing and the realization of how much time there actually was in a day helped the blonde relax, smile more as that same time passed and she discovered a new world.

A world where there was acceptance and encouragement instead of hatred and demeaning. A world where she and Rowan could be themselves and everything was fine, with her sibling smiling and laughing a lot more as they darted through the hallways behind Fiona in order to scare Ingrid and Edelgard - it was also not uncommon to see them helping Fiona pick outfits and solve the homework she loathed. Eventually Rowan even made her some cookies when the girl wasn’t looking - they were better at cooking than Ingrid would ever be, but it was the first time she had seen them so engaged and happy while doing it.

Finding a family that slowly grew kinder and kinder towards them was enough to show the Galatea siblings that there was indeed some good in the world. 

That parents didn’t have to mean a bad thing, which they noted when Ionius and Anselma hugged the two and said that they would always be more than welcome to stay at the house.

“Why, once I hosted a friend who was thrown out by his family because he was dating a Duscarian. Terrible, really,” Ionius shook his head, taking a huge sip of wine during the usual Friday family dinner.

Although the table was a rectangular one, there were no chairs on either ends of it so that no one was seated at the so-called “head of the table”, a place that Ingrid’s father had loved to occupy and claim as his own by default since he was the leader of the family too. Rather, everyone was displayed rather spaciously alongside the table, so much so that it had been easy to place another two seats beside Edelgard to allow for the Galatea siblings to join them.

“You’re part of the family now, if you want to be of course,” Anselma said with a nod; Ingrid could see that Edelgard had the same brown hair her mother did, though not all of the Hresvelg kids were brunettes - she had been told of Ionius’s failed attempts at love from Fiona herself, who made each and every story with the exes as dramatic as she could so she would get more and more laughs from Rowan. “And any friend of El’s is welcome here.”

At those words the table fell still, as it had been silent before since only one could speak at a time. The woman’s eyes widened in surprise given how many of them looked away at that statement, which made her worry if she had said something off. The moment she was about to ask, however, Edelgard spoke out loud and clear, her words immediately earning her a smile from both Edmund and Dana.

“Actually mother, Ingrid is my girlfriend - one of my girlfriends.”

Thirteen pairs of eyes fell upon the parents, gauging their reaction. Eleven out of them recalled how Edmund’s tale had been received with stunned silence and wondered if that would be the same this time around, only to visibly relax when Anselma and Ionius chuckled, covering their mouths with their hands as etiquette demanded. 

“Ah my dear child - no, my dear children,” Anselma added, her gaze fluttering between Edmund and Edelgard with something like pride behind her green irises. “I am grateful you have decided to share this with us. We have been meaning to say something about the entire matter since our response to Edmund’s declaration was nothing short of terrible.”

“We are sorry, Eddie. Truly, we acted as if you sharing your truth with us was something irrelevant, when in fact we were merely surprised,” Ionius continued, his own eyes downcast. “Not to justify our conduct on that day, but it had been a long week and we were almost not thinking at all - why, your mother suggested we should add the Archbishop as a DLC character on Fókken of all things and -”

“Oh, as if your idea of adding Saint Seiros was any better.”

The table dissolved into chuckles that soon turned into full laughter as the parents kept bickering, arguing why having one over the other would be better, only to agree that both would make for awful sales on a game that was one of Hresvelg Co’s biggest successes.

“In any case, we would like to apologize for how we treated your revelation, Edmund, and for the fact that we have been too ashamed of ourselves to ask for forgiveness before,” Ionius went on after throwing his wife a last withering glance since she had just said having the Emperor and the Archbishop on the same team would be hilarious and gamers would love that. “And not only to congratulate you on your boyfriends, but also to thank you for sharing your truth with us. For trusting us with this part of yourself, too.”

“You are all very precious to me, in your own and unique ways. And all of them are more than accepted and cherished in this household. So never be afraid of being who you are and coming to us for help, we will always be here for you even when we aren’t home. Even after you leave home.” Anselma’s eyes were tender as she looked at the oldest kids. They had welcomed her as a Hresvelg from day one after all.

The only thing she could do was hope to repay the love and support by doing the same to them.

“And El? I always knew you had a big heart,” the woman went on. “No matter how much you ranted about how the girls at Wilhelm I were too silly and you were sure you would never find love yourself.”

“Wait, did you seriously believe that?” Ingrid asked, so shocked her voice was a little bit louder than she had intended to.

Which of course meant that Edelgard blushed and lowered her eyes in response, the rest of the family first giggling, then outright laughing as Fiona said, doing an almost perfect reenactment of El: “Oh, love is a foolish endeavor, a distraction from studies and what really matters in life. All those blushing girls swooning over one person or another, smiling like fools in the middle of class and doodling little hearts on their notebooks. _I shall never!_ ”

“And now look, instead of one person or the other you found three to swoon over and all,” Dana added while drying tears from her eyes, though she wanted more than anything to get up and hug Edelgard, who had just hid her face between her hands. 

Ingrid felt it would be terrible to say that she had a notebook filled with little hearts that Edelgard herself had doodled as proof of how false that statement was, but the mere thought of it made her snicker as much as the others. 

“In any case, my dears. The point is that we are more than grateful that you have found people you love and that things have worked well between you,” Anselma said with a wide smile on her lips once everyone had stopped laughing. “But please do bring your partners to meet us, we’d like to get to know them better. And congratulations to both of you, Eddie and El.”

Maybe Fiona groaned and rolled her eyes at how cheesy that entire thing was, though there was a soft beam on her lips that made everyone know her true feelings for that moment - including Rowan, who was more than happy to call her out on it and earn a blush in return. Maybe Edelgard and Edmund were looking at each other and beaming, their cheeks a pretty tone of crimson that became worse when Ingrid caressed El’s hand under the table and, in a bout of bravery, planted a kiss on her cheek. 

One that made the table collectively coo over them and insist that the other two girls should go to the mansion soon, the promise becoming reality once they were able to invite Dorothea and Byleth for a studying and gaming Saturday afternoon that would be turned into a sleepover.

At first Edelgard was a little weary about making Ingrid face the great outdoors once more, even though the entire thing had been her suggestion to begin with. She wanted to get out and have a good time at the Gaming Mug with her partners, to see what Garreg Mach was and more than anything, to understand what it was like to have a free weekend without someone else barking orders along her way or making sure she cleans the house even more on Saturday.

And what she knew would be even better? She couldn’t wait to find out what a Sunday without attending services near lunchtime would be like. 

She was indeed looking a lot happier and freer as they walked through Garreg Mach right before lunch - they ended up agreeing to grab something to eat and do their homework in the shopping mall as well, since they liked the background noise of people going around and doing their own things. More than that, they wanted to be near each other for as much time as they could even if they would have until Sunday to hang up.

Every moment was precious, however, unique in the smiles they exchanged, the laughs that colored the air around them in soft tones, the long stares and caring words that were spoken as they met in the food court and got their meals, sharing and teasing one another with talk of dessert, some gossip from the week that Ingrid had been away. And most of all, the gentle touches and words of solace that reassured the blonde that she had been missed and very very dearly.

That they were sorry that things had happened the way they had and they wished they could do more. Or do better too.

A sentiment that remained there even when Ingrid shook her head, smiled and squeezed their hands, saying they were more than amazing and she was thankful for their help. And how, because of them, she was being able to enjoy that day, just the mere fact that they were there together and doing mundane things such as eating and hitting the books for some studying.

Funny how something as mundane as going through homework had gained an extra layer to it all, something beautiful that had everything to do with being free and almost nothing to the fact that they were trying to memorize Brigidian verbs.

Their wish to enjoy some games instead of staying all weekend buried in books or studying made them finish homework and extra sheets in record time, the four girls giggling after Dorothea said “first one to reach the arcade gets all the kisses.” There was no clear winner since they ended up holding hands on their way there - and having to keep Edelgard from falling since she had tripped somewhere, her lilac eyes first surprised, then grateful at being supported by all of them. 

The Gaming Mug was pretty empty for a Saturday afternoon, but then it was also a little too early for parents to be so bored and miffed at their children’s nagging to allow them to go play games to their hearts’ content. As a result they were able to call dibs on the TV set and the console with the pillows instead of having to resort to the arcade machines. 

“Fókken day?” Byleth asked, though she eyed the Dance Dance Resolution machine with a smile and a proud look sent Edelgard’s way. That was where they had bonded the most, through almost falls and stupid dance moves while helping the smaller girl train for her PE exam. She had a feeling she would never forget those moments, come what may.

That no matter the direction life took them, they would always remember those days with fondness and a smile on their lips. 

”Oh please, I need to punch some characters in the face. El didn’t really let me win when we were playing together at the mansion,” Ingrid commented as she sat beside Dorothea on the pillows and grabbed a silver controller, the two of them laughing as that was received with a snort.

“Nonsense, it was fun to practice against you though,” the smaller girl retorted with a smirk, taking a place beside Thea. “Which hm, reminds me…”

“The upcoming tourneys?” Dorothea inquired, passed the black controller on her hand to Edelgard and leaned forward to get another one while Byleth eventually sat down beside Ingrid. “When do they start again?”

“Next month or so I think, I didn’t really pay attention to dates,” By clicked a few buttons, waiting for the game to load. “Free for all or teams?”

“Why not both?” Thea suggested with a wink. “I wanna demolish all of you of course, but teaming up is always nice.” She stopped, regarded the character selection screen with a sweet smile and went on, whispering. “Who would have thought I’d learn so much about gaming because I’m dating the three most amazing players ever.”

She took longer than the others to pick her fighter because that was received by nervous laughs, a sigh and a gasp by the other three. It made her snicker, her heart filling with warmth and love so that she simply had to drop the controller for one second and squeeze their hands before moving on with the game.

“No, seriously. You’re great students, amazing, kind people and incredible gamers - eh, _gay_ mers right? And I can only say I’m very, very happy to have you in my life, not only as friends but as partners. So thank you for allowing this to happen, even though many would see our relationship as something completely odd and impossible.”

Maybe the gesture and those words were enough to distract them, for she ended up winning that first match and easily getting all of them down before they could even realize what was happening.

"What, are you really just going to let me win now? Guess I should have tried that during our first championship oh well,” Dorothea sighed, shaking her head as if that was something tragic.

After that they decided it would be a lot better to play doubles and did it for a while longer, changing partners so they could learn and work with each other’s playstyles, praising and teasing each other along the way. It was easy to lose track of time like that, to not see light changing its course even though they were right beside the window. 

As a result they also failed to notice that the arcade was getting more and more crowded with people that had found it better to watch those amazing gamers playing by the TV than to start a game of their own - and run the risk of battling any of them once the four started going online for doubles and singles. The others were more than happy to cheer their partners on and to make comments here and there on how they could improve, not in a tone that implied any sort of superiority but in love and companionship.

They had grown oblivious to the crowd, so the claps and cheers they got after a splendid match were startling - though nothing beat the sight of turning around to see so many eyes on them, it was a wonder how they had missed it at all. There were children, teens and adults smiling and giggling, a few throwing them challenging glances since they had been there for the competition as well - like that girl, Lysithea, who was about to walk forward when someone placed a hand on her shoulder and took a step in their direction instead.

"So that's the kind of sport that you're good at, Hresvelg?" 

Although the four girls froze, eyes widening once they realized who was standing in front of them with a very different outfit than what they usually saw her wearing, it was Edelgard who almost hid behind Dorothea and only stayed in place because two hands held and squeezed hers, a chuckle coming from Thea as well. 

“C- coach Ladislava?” Ingrid asked, tilting her head. That _was_ coach Ladislva, right? Even though she didn’t usually wear stylish long cream pants and an expensive-looking red shirt. 

Or had her hair down like that, the light brown flowing over her shoulders. Or carried anything other than sports balls or gymnastic equipment instead of a big black purse.

Or…. Seemed to enjoy video games.

“Heh, are you that surprised? Teachers and coaches have a life outside of school, you know,” the woman answered with a smirk, well-aware that Lysithea and some of the others were looking at her with an amused expression as well.

But then, it wasn’t every day that her gaming crew at the arcade met her students at Garreg Mach High by mistake or fate, including her star volleyball players and the uh… not-so-athletic girl that seemed to shine with a controller in hand, though. And as much as the girls were shocked by that side of her, she was appalled by their presence as well. As far as she knew, Byleth and Edelgard were stellar students, Dorothea was very good herself and Ingrid was mostly sports-oriented, but did her best in any case.

To see them bringing an entire room to cheers and claps while brilliantly playing Fókken among themselves was something amazing indeed.

“Yes, we know, but, hm…” Edelgard tried and failed to ask about the entire assembly, the kids around her and how at ease she was in the Gaming Mug. Though given how little they knew about Ladislava, she could pretty much own the place and they wouldn’t have noticed.

“In my spare time I coach the Garreg Mach division for Fókken, gotta diversify a bit and help in esports too,” she shrugged after explaining it, as if it were as simple as saying she had just bought some new running shoes because she would participate in the Saint Seiros marathon next month.

The thing was, that wasn’t the type of game they were talking about right then.

“Oh I see, they are from Garreg Mach high,” Lysithea commented, smirking at them. Another girl who was a little taller than her, a ginger whom they hadn’t seen before, gave them a full smile and hummed almost as if in welcome. “Small world.”

Ingrid should have anticipated that three pairs of eyes would turn her way when those words were said, though that didn’t mean she blushed any less upon remembering the amazing afternoon in which she had said that, the days that had followed. And how she loved being surrounded by all of her three girlfriends like that.

“Yes, small world indeed. But anyways, I couldn’t help but notice that the four of you are amazing players by yourselves but also in doubles. It’s been a while since the last time I’ve seen such good dynamics,” the woman went on whole she approached the four, Lysithea and her friend right beside her. Some people still watched them, though the smartest kids had realized that was the best chance they would have to claim the unoccupied arcade machines and did so behind the others' backs. “And it’d be a shame to not put all of this potential to use I think.”

“Wait, you don’t mean… this late in the season, coach?” Lysithea asked, frowning. It wasn’t always that Ladislava opened up an exception like that, much less four. Especially when tourneys would start happening almost every weekend in the cities around the Oghma Mountains.

“You saw how they were doing, they need more of a slight nudge than too much coaching if I can say so myself,” the woman spoke with a small smile towards Byleth, Dorothea, Edelgard and Ingrid, who looked at her with a mixture of carefulness and anticipation. “Would you like to join the Garreg Mach Fókken team? We completely understand that you’re students and school will always come first, but it’d be good to have such promising people representing the city this year.”

Edelgard, Byleth, Ingrid and Dorothea exchanged puzzled looks, wide smiles. It was clear they loved gaming and to be able to do so together, plus actually getting to meet other gamers and get some sort of outside help as well? The answer was already there, in the glint within their lilac, cornflower blue, green and emerald eyes as they looked back to Ladislava and said they would have to give it some thought and check with parents.

It was definitely there when Dorothea turned towards the woman before they could exit the arcade and go to their slumber party, and inquired with a grin, “does that mean our Edie gets extra credit in PE?”

Unfortunately it didn’t, but it really hadn’t hurt to ask. Even more so when Dorothea was rewarded with a kiss on the cheek from Edelgard, then Byleth and Ingrid as well, almost as a token for her nice words.

Almost as a promise to the days that would come, to all the changes that were already happening within and around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello you guys, we're back to gaymers ahsjsjsjs I hope you had great holidays and thank you for sticking with this fic too!!
> 
> So Ingrid is healing and processing her emotions/her past, with the others more than glad to help her! As she deserves honestly xD 
> 
> Thank you for reading and have a great week!


	16. The Garreg Mach Fókken Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard, Byleth, Ingrid and Dorothea start training under coach Ladislava in the official Garreg Mach Fókken federation before winter break begins. 
> 
> Once it's time for vacations they finally go on dates, confront the past and realize how far they've come.

Playing games had been a way of destressing for Ingrid and Dorothea; Edelgard and Byleth had also relied on it to get through bad days, though they had a more competitive approach to video games in general. There was nothing better than turning their consoles on at night, then proceeding to kick and punch bad guys and opponents in Fókken, even more so if they had had a stressful day. 

After getting together as a polycule the four girls had made a point to play at least a little bit at night before going to sleep - it was their bounding time, when they would hop on voice chat and do their best to get a laugh out of each other whenever they made some foolish mistake, missed a move or walked out of the stage on purpose while on matches. Even if Edelgard and Ingrid were side by side and could tease each other way more than Dorothea and Byleth could, it was a moment they cherished and looked forward to even if they had been together during the afternoon and a part of the evening.

Gaming was soothing, it was grounding when extra exams from hell came and went, when they had more homework than it should be humanely acceptable and their home lives got a little tense. The latter stung more if that was related to the Hresvelg siblings, though whenever there was an objection to Ingrid being it was usually cut short by either Anselma and Ionius or by Edie, Dana, Fiona and Eddy as well. In the end, Ingrid would find out later that she was the one who thought the most about it being an issue, but slowly her focus shifted from solving that little situation and into not failing school.

Guilt was a terrible thing that had been instilled into Ingrid from an early age, but it slowly loosened its grip on her thoughts as weeks went by and more things happened. When she wasn’t punished by any divine or earthly intervention due to what her parents would have called her “lazy ways”, and her girlfriends were keen to let her know everything was fine. The world was still spinning and both her and Rowan were still alive - rather, one could say they were finally alive, finally able to express their opinions and wishes instead of having to conform to others’.

They were eventually being allowed to rest and think for themselves and about themselves in a way that wasn’t turned towards surviving a hostile environment, nor were they wasting all of their energies doing their father’s whims and loathing every second of it. 

Ingrid had told herself she wouldn’t let them stay at the Hresvelg household for more than a few days, a statement she kept mentally repeating even after weeks had gone by, then a month and another too. The idea was still there, but the thoughts were less pressing and more forgiving as winter break approached and she saw many changes to her demeanor, to the way she was actually looking forward to having a break from school.

One of such transformations and pretty much her favorite so far was the fact that her grades weren’t anywhere near failing for the first time in years. 

It didn’t take a genius to understand why, how resting more, laughing more and enjoying the support and company of her three partners and their families had been extremely beneficial to her. But actually seeing a quantitative change such as that in something that had made her stay up all night worrying about the consequences of having to repeat a year wasn’t something she had expected to happen at all.

Especially since the four girls had been having less and less studying sessions as time went by, now that they were doing a little something else during parts of their weekends and a few days of the week too, whenever they were ok with it and willing to spare an hour or two for it.

That little something was called practicing with the Garreg Mach Fókken federation, under Ladislava’s less demanding standards than the ones she held for PE classes - though seeing how serious Edelgard was about gaming was another factor that made the woman realize that yes, maybe the girl wasn’t made for sports and wasn’t really making it all up, that she wasn’t just used to being excluded from classes either. Taking that into consideration and Rhea’s letter about letting that particular student do as she pleased, the coach ended up beaming and saying that she was free to do as she saw fit for then on.

Everyone could still recall the sigh of relief that had been shared by both Edelgard and the rest of the class once those words were said, then the laugh that came next and how Dorothea, Ingrid and Byleth embraced her and told her to cheer for them even when they were on opposite teams. 

And with those classes (and bruises) out of the way, Edelgard’s performance in tests and in games improved greatly since a significant part of her stress had finally been taken out of her life. Everyone else and Ladislava were able to see how much she had already improved right then and there, watching as the girl went face to face against Byleth during one of their many practice sessions. 

It was an early evening on a Wednesday and the woman had been surprised to see all four strolling into the game store that was right beside the Gaming Mug. The place had offered the official Garreg Mach Fókken federation their second floor so they could practice as much as they could - it was mainly unoccupied anyways unless some tourney or another was taking place and Ladislava hated crowding the arcade with players from her two divisions, too.

On that evening it was no different; the ten or so gamers took up little space in the gaming store, but enough that they would have claimed the arcade next door for themselves. The younger players had stopped to take a break, only to be pulled into watching Edelgard’s and Byleth’s match that was happening center stage, on the TV that Ladislava had set for them. She had decided to actually simulate a tourney and it had worked greatly so far - the master division was in finals already and as always it had come down to those two even though Ingrid and Dorothea had gotten really close this time around. 

Watching the four of them made the coach think of something… a possibility that she hadn't considered for years and never thought she would. Yet for the time being she decided to keep it a secret, to let the girls play as they wished and give the thought some time to develop. Maybe it would be something new, maybe it was really stupid of her to even consider it - only time would tell anyways.

She shook her head and went back to paying attention to the game. The two girls were sitting on the floor as they preferred, postures slightly slouched forward even though the coach had corrected them one too many times already. The match was a close one and each player more than intended on winning, but it was easy to see that it completely favored Byleth and her fast movements, the brashness that she sometimes exhibited and the risks she was ok with taking even if they didn’t always pay off. 

The taller kid had lost game one because of it, but she hadn’t been deterred and countered Edelgard’s more defensive and careful style with ease the second time around. It was no surprise that they needed a third match to decide the final score - it was a staple between them apparently and even more so when tourneys were involved.

Though they had almost scared Ladislava to death when they came out as the Ashen Demon and the Flame Emperor/Flaming Eagle the second the woman expressed that their playing styles and dynamics were somewhat familiar to those two mysterious figures, that they had an almost rivalry to them that was at odds with how friendly they were outside of gaming. 

She had counted herself lucky of course, to have two talented gamers in her team. But it was still a shock and a funny one regardless whenever she remembered it just as it happened in that moment, once Byleth countered one of Edelgard’s very carefully planned attacks and it seemed like that would be the end of the match again. That was a trick the smaller girl had fallen for more than once not only during the few weeks they had been training under Ladislava, but in championships in general - and a rather simple one to execute if her opponent were good at reading her as well. 

The entire room gasped the second they saw something different happening this time around, Edelgard grinning to herself and stepping back instead of simply trading her defense for a jump when Byleth executed a sword slash. Then she used her enemy’s moment of surprise to land a long ranged attack and follow it up with a very well-executed combo of kicks and punches that left Byleth no time at all to fight back, only to watch her character be completely defeated and for the room to explode in cheers for the girl beside her. 

The girl whose proud smug was so enchanting and so teasing, Byleth had to stop herself from leaning in and kissing her as a way to congratulate Edelgard for the victory she had gotten, for being able to finally stop someone from exploiting one of her weakest points like that. 

Arms wrapped around Byleth's waist and by then she knew enough to recognize Dorothea before she even spoke and told her she had done a very nice job. It wasn’t tough to imagine that Ingrid was probably doing the same to Edie - a heartbeat later both she and Thea were giggling and watching as the blonde tugged Edelgard back and they almost fell. Just another typical day when dealing with them, of course. 

“That was a really nice recovery, Hresvelg,” Ladislava said from the corner of the stage after the room had calmed down enough and she wouldn’t need to yell over a bunch of excited teens. She loved both of her jobs as coach, but that didn’t mean her throat felt the same when it came to calling the younger ones to attention. “Glad to see you using the hints I gave you - Leonie, Petra, were you taking notes?”

The two other girls nodded, the former less enthusiastically than the latter. While Petra had been more than happy to welcome Dorothea and the others into the team and had been there when Ladislava scouted them in the Gaming Mug, Leonie had felt a little more miffed by the entire matter. Even more so given how her and Petra had been seen as favorites for regionals until they were outshone by those four and especially by Byleth and Edelgard. 

How the names Ashen Demon and Flame Emperor had been revered by all of the others and immediately meant that those two were stars, that they were the center of attention and everyone else should look up to them more than anything else. 

“Well good, on that rate you’ll all qualify for nationals anyways, so I’d like to see some team spirit between you ok?” The woman went on, well-aware that not all feelings around them were happy ones.

That was fine though, there were still a few weeks until regionals would be held in Garreg Mach city of all places, something that made it easy for them to attend. It also meant she wouldn’t need to almost beg parents to either accompany players from the junior division on long trips and flights, or convince them she was good with kids and would take care of their precious children for the course of a weekend or a day at the most that was when games would happen. 

Not that she would have the same luck for Worlds, but that was a fate she had already resigned herself with, after one too many years in which tourneys had taken place everywhere but in Fódlan. 

“Can we play some doubles now, coach?” Annette inquired after noticing how antsy her partner Lysithea was. It was fun to watch others and their matches, but they wanted to prove how good they were as well. Especially since Byleth and her friends (though Lysithea said she was pretty sure they were all together, as in  _ together  _ together) had been so nice to them and given them some hints on how to go about combos and dodging for the last few days. 

After the woman nodded and motioned for the four girls to stop cuddling and teasing each other over the stage, Lysithea and Annette got on it and sat down sharing one of the cushions, waiting for their usual opponents (Flayn and Cyril) to take the other pillow and their own controllers so the match could begin.

There were smiles on Annette's and Lysithea's faces when the game started not just because they were playing, but since they could hear Byleth, Dorothea, Ingrid and Edelgard cheering for them with small hoots once they scored or landed some hits. Although the rest of the team had always been supportive of their few younger gamers, it was the first time they had felt so cherished and welcomed, addressed as the good players that they were regardless of their age or the fact that outside of internationals there was barely any age division in local championships.

The gaming store flared into life with their cheers and small yells whenever something nice happened, until Ladislava announced that the older players had had enough of a rest and should go back to their own consoles. That they should work in pairs of their liking instead of distracting the kids - and they’d get a noise complaint from the storekeepers downstairs if they kept cheering like that for much longer.

Yet Ladislava said that with a smile on her face, one that widened once she saw all of the gamers getting closer and closer to each other as the days went by and they started practicing together, supporting all members of the Garreg Mach Fókken federation; animosities gradually turning into clusters of bantering and good companionship in and outside of their gaming nights. 

Just as matches progressed and training nights started happening more and more often the month went on and eventually came to an end, bringing with it the winter break that many had been dreaming and daydreaming about. 

* * *

Once upon a time having no classes would be a nightmare to Ingrid. The prospect of staying at home all day and having to bear her father’s expectations that she would do more, clean more and keep things in order would crush all the joy of not having to study or take notes in lectures. She would rather deal with those equations and all the nomials that were poly in the world than having to do any of that, a sentiment that was made worse whenever she went on Hooter and saw her friends and acquaintances having fun while she worked harder than before.

So maybe because of that past which had repeated itself over and over one too many times, the first day of winter break started with her sitting up in bed after a nasty nightmare, one that depicted endless hours of cleaning and her father bellowing at her to do better. Her heart was racing, breath coming in shallow pants; her senses were still locked into the dream world for a few seconds after she was up - to the point that she glanced this way and that at the big room, looking for a broomstick so she could start her duties.

It took a while for her to realize that had been nothing but a very bad dream and not even Dorothea’s soft, worried voice calling for her reached her at first. When a hand enclosed and caressed hers, then another squeezed her shoulder and a third offered some support to the small of her back she gasped, shook her head and eventually found herself in a reality that couldn’t be further away from the torment of her dream even if it tried to do so. 

“Ingrid? It’s ok, you’re ok now,” Byleth whispered, holding her shoulder a little stronger to better ground her. She watched for a few seconds as those emerald eyes slowly became less hazy, then got brighter against the darkened room while panic gradually eased out of Ingrid's face.

“It was just a bad dream, our Ingie.” Dorothea’s voice was gentle, her fingertips drawing circles on the girl’s back. She had been the first to attend Ingrid just because they were sharing a bed and cuddling, but the other two had moved fast to aid as well, sitting down on the big mattress around the blonde.

“You’re safe with us and we are here for you, always. Nothing can hurt you now,” Edelgard added and caressed her hand in gentle movements, her gaze trained on how Ingrid’s breath eased up and returned to a calmer pacing, her shoulders loosening up once her eyes fluttered over each and every one of her girlfriends.

It was a delight when the scared, tense expression left Ingrid's face and was replaced with a small smile, a look of gratitude and relief that was mirrored on theirs. A heavy sigh escaped her lips and her body sagged, her hands covering Edelgard’s and Dorothea’s with a reassuring pat before she could trust herself to speak. 

“Thank you, really.” Her tone was small and raspy, almost as if she were screaming a few seconds ago. She wondered if that was the case, if she had disturbed the others because of that. Given how dark it was and the fact that they didn’t need to get out of the house at all if they chose not to, meaning there was no reason for them to be awake that early, maybe that was entirely the case. “Sorry if I woke you up.” 

“There’s nothing to apologize for, sweetheart.” Dorothea leaned in and planted a small peck on her cheek, smiling to herself when that made Ingrid beam as well. “Do you wanna talk about it, about something else?”

“It is ok if you don’t want to, some dreams can be quite disturbing. It won’t be bothersome for us to listen to it, though,” Edelgard reassured her, knowing very well how awful some nightmares could be and how she would rather not speak about them at times. 

It was good to see Ingrid nod, then pull Byleth closer for a hug and ask the others to join in with an inviting smile. They complied without saying anything, internally happy that they were indeed being relied on; they knew the blonde liked solving things by herself and that she had been raised to deal with everything without asking for help - or what was worse, without deeming herself worthy of being aided. For her to actually accept and ask for an embrace meant a lot for the other three, who held her willingly for as long as she wanted them to.

“It was a stupid thing, really,” Ingrid whispered after a few minutes, deciding it would be best to tell them after all. In the end, it would sound funny when said out loud since the setting hadn’t been  _ that _ scary to begin with. It was only her father’s presence and his way of barking orders that had made the entire thing so hateful and scary. 

Yet once she was done talking, explaining how breaks were like for her and what they entailed and how the nightmare had played off, there was no one laughing at her, at the dream itself or the little jabs she had thrown at herself along the way. If nothing they held her closer and caressed her, Edelgard nuzzling her neck while Byleth and Dorothea placed their heads on each of her shoulders. They whispered that she was safe, that it wouldn’t happen and she wasn’t back in the Galatea household anymore. 

That this was the first day of winter break and they were in the Hresvelg mansion after a crazy sleepover night, one that had been preceded by a dinner in which Anselma, Ionius, Dana, Fiona and Edmund had made Edelgard blush more than ever by telling them anecdotes about their girlfriend. After that and - after Edie had recovered from what she dubbed “the most embarrassing dinner in her entire existence” - they had played Fókken until very late, unwilling to let that celebration come to an end no matter how tired they were. No matter how they would have a whole month to do more of that and enjoy each other’s company without worrying about an exam to take, volleyball practices to attend or working hours to complete after school. It was  _ the _ first night of winter break and it was important, maybe the most important of them all.

Laughs finally did echo around the room - Edelgard’s room - when they recalled the stupid little argument that ensued a few minutes before they went to sleep, once they looked at the two beds and started talking about who would lie down with who. Sure, one mattress would have been enough for the four of them, albeit in a cramped way that would end up with them waking up in pain instead of relaxed (or annoyed with each other instead of happy and cozy, since some of them were lighter sleepers than the others and tended to need space, to move a lot more and well… kick a little.) And in the end it had been a lot of a hassle for Edmund and Ionius to bring in the extra bed as well, so the least they could do was make use of it, right?

The entire thing started when Byleth turned to Edelgard with the biggest, most heart wrenching pout any of them had ever seen. They were surprised by it, wondering what had happened and if she needed a hug or something, until she turned to the smaller girl and said in a whiny voice, “you’ve already slept with the others but never with me.” 

It had made them burst into laughter back then and the same thing happened once they retold it to Ingrid as a way to calm her. Edelgard had blushed, almost fallen from the bed due to how silly the entire thing was - and again she was flustered, squirming again in Ingrid's arms as the moment was described.

“W-we uh, there hasn’t been a chance for us to…” she had stuttered, very aware that both Ingrid and Dorothea were having the time of their lives watching her completely unable to finish the sentence, to gather her thoughts. Not when Byleth’s eyes were so hurt, fixated on her with a pain in them that she wished she could qualm regardless of how silly it all was. “It is nothing personal, I can assure you! It uh… there was no o-opportunity and with Ingrid living here I -”

“You still blame me for the silver thing, don’t you?” Byleth’s eyes had shone in a dangerous way, her eyes moving from the smaller girl and her panicked state. She knew it was a foolish thing, what with how their two other girlfriends were chuckling at the whole exchange, but even so. The issue  _ had  _ been in her mind for too long. “It’s ok, I know I did awful and all, I’m so sorry.”

“B-By, no, what?” Edelgard had taken hold of her two hands, rubbing them to make sure the taller girl understood she was ok. “There is no resentment towards that anymore and I uh, I love you just as much as I love Dorothea and Ingrid, ok? Truly. You are as precious to me as any of them and hm… would you, would you like to sleep with me tonight?”

For all the fun it had been to hear the girl asking something like that, then to see Byleth rub tears out of her eyes and envelop Edie in a tender embrace, that moment also made them stop and beam, hum in joy at what they were seeing. None of them could confirm right there and then, but maybe it was the first time the word “love” had been used between them - regardless of it, there was something magical about hearing Edelgard von Hresvelg say she loved none other than Byleth Eisner, the same girl she had despised from day one. 

And when they kissed a second later since By had been too happy to simply accept the invitation with a hug, Dorothea and Ingrid cooed at the sight, lacing their fingers and touching a flustered Edelgard for reassurance. 

“Look at our loves, Ingie, so tender and gentle together,” Dorothea had teased once they pulled apart, the beautiful blush on Edie’s cheeks growing stronger after that was said. 

After some more words, some anecdotes, kisses and chuckles about the entire thing, Byleth and Edelgard had moved to the extra mattress and gotten ready to sleep, embracing and cuddling just as Ingrid and Dorothea had been doing too. Yes, they had to admit it was a little bit awkward at first, that maybe Byleth was right and the two of them hadn’t been kissing and touching as much as the others did, but it didn’t take long for that to change. 

When Edelgard’s protests and huffs had turned into chuckles and blushes, they knew everything was fine, that it would be fine and Byleth had had the right idea by asking for it.

Once Dorothea was done with the retelling there was no shadow of fear or sadness in Ingrid’s eyes. Rather, they were shining and her face was uplifted, lips turned in an amused smile, her entire body relaxed and reveling in being embraced by all of her girlfriends. 

_ Girlfriends. _ She would be lying if she ever thought or said that the word no longer filled her heart with a giddy type of happiness that she had never experienced before. Such joy became visible right then, as she glanced upon the other girls with fondness before giving each of them a small kiss on the lips. 

“Thank you for being here and for helping so much,” she said in a small voice, glad to see they were smiling due to her gesture. They deserved way more than that in her view and there was still some guilt in her heart whenever she thought about it, but if there was something that she had learned in the past few days was to bide her time and let things happen, to keep trying no matter what. It would pay off in the long run, that was for sure. “It means a lot to me.  _ You _ mean a lot to me.”

“Ingie, you’re entirely too cute,” Dorothea cooed, kissing the blonde’s cheeks and intertwining one of her hands with Edelgard’s. Sometimes it was tough to believe she wasn’t dreaming, that she was actually together with all the girls she had fallen in love with.

And that none of them had judged her harshly for liking more than one person either, but rather shared the sentiment and welcomed her as she was.

“And there is nothing for you to thank us for, we’re here for you,” Edelgard added, her voice gentle. She beamed before continuing and when she did, there was a lilt in her tone that made the others smile too. “It makes me happy to see that you’re no longer apologizing though - not that you ever had to, but even so. Us being here for you is the least we can do, so there is no need for you to thank -”

“You can speak for yourselves.” Byleth frowned, making the girls glance at her with quizzical expressions. Laughter was bubbling within her chest, but she did her best not to let it show. “I’d like to be properly thanked and that’ll include some burgers, milkshakes and cupcakes for starters.”

They giggled at it, the tension completely gone from their shoulders and faces. It was easy for them to fall into the mattress again while still hugging, pressing Ingrid into the soft bed before kissing and tickling her until she was breathless. 

That was their first morning of winter break, one that had started bleak and ended with them “laughing like little children” as Fiona said the minute her and Rowan walked in to make sure everyone was doing fine. It was something funny to see them all in pajamas so much later than the usual, their uniforms completely tucked away back at home and backpacks locked in wardrobes.

It was a whole new world in a sense, even though it was a morning like any other and the one thing that had changed was not needing to go to school, but the possibilities for them to occupy their time thanks to it were vast, amazing and exciting….

Until of course someone asked  _ what _ exactly they were planning on doing, once they were at the dining table for breakfast. The one thing they could do was look at each other with blank expressions on their faces. 

“Oh Rowie and I are going to visit some cafés around Garreg Mach,” Fiona answered right after Conrad posed the question; although he was about to get to work and had woken up late, he had decided to stay for a bit and check on his sisters, to wish them a good start to their vacation. “We’ve been talking about it for weeks, but I don’t know any good ones and they offered to show me around so why not? Also some new places opened recently and they looked good so I want to try them out.”

“Of course you do,” he replied, shaking his head. At least that was better than her usual makeup hauls during vacations, how she had used to drag him all around Enbarr when they were younger and practically beg him or Edmund to buy her things every day. “Just don’t overdo it on the coffee, I abhor to think about what you would be like while on a caffeine high.”

The table burst into laughter and small groans of fear in response to that; the mental image was bad enough to make them cringe in one way or the other. However, as that question was posed again for Edelgard and her girlfriends, there was nothing but dead silence and a lot of staring going around the four girls, something that made Fiona and Rowan giggle instead.

“Oh for Sothis’s sake, you’re completely useless aren’t you?” Fiona shook her head and sighed, Rowan mimicking her to perfection. “There’s so much to do around Garreg Mach, just take your pick and go for it.”

“Hm I’m sorry for the question,” Rowan began, though the smile on their face betrayed the fact that maybe they weren’t sorry at all. “But have you ever like gone on a date? Like a  _ date  _ date?”

“Whatever do you mean with that?” Edelgard inquired, truly curious, then wished she had remained silent since Dorothea, her sister and Ingrid’s sibling chuckled for a very long time and went on even after Conrad was gone; the fact that his lips had been turned in a mocking smile of his own didn’t help matters either.

“A  _ date _ , El. You know? Romantic dinners by candlelights, kisses stolen in the middle of an awful movie, love poems read to each other in a cozy bookstore…” Fiona’s voice was dreamy and she fanned herself for effect, as if she were completely taken and fascinated with the idea.

“Holding hands in public, picnics at the park, admiring the city from the top of a mountain together, then promising each other eternal, undying love…” Rowan complemented, though their voice wasn’t as dramatic as Fiona’s.

“Coffee dates and gaming nights, cuddling under the same blanket - though you would need a very long blanket but heh, we’ve seen you doing that already.” Fiona’s face became mischievous, something that made Edelgard fear the worst. “Well, not that it should surprise me as my sister is the furthest thing from romantic that one can think of, but I am indeed  _ appalled  _ to see that the four of you just forgot the romance and went straight - err, gay - into the sleeping together part. That is truly a great shock and not what I expected from you.”

“Oh stop with the silliness, Fiona,” Edelgard cut in, though her cheeks were burning and most of the others at the table were giggling at it. “I do admit that is a good idea though and yes, we have yet to go on a proper date, don’t we?”

“Yeah and that’s too sad.” Dorothea nodded, actually contrite, taking that as seriously as Fiona seemed to be. “I mean, we had a lot to do these last few weeks and all so it wasn’t all our fault but even so. It can’t go on like that for any longer, can it?”

Byleth shook her head, frowning as she started thinking about possibilities and places she could take them. Only to sigh in frustration once only options that had to do with gaming came to her mind, especially with regionals being so close. Yes, she knew she could have a one track mind, but that was really something else right there and then. 

Luckily there were more than enough heads to think about the issue and breakfast took longer than necessary, stretching almost for an hour and soon feeling more like a war council than a meal. After a few seconds Fiona pulled a white board she and Dana had been using to keep score on their little game of “who could make Edelgard blush the most”, erased Dana’s winning streak and started writing down a list of places they could visit - most of which were suggested by Rowan, Dorothea and Ingrid, as the Hresvelgs were still relatively new to Garreg Mach and Byleth had spent most of her free time indoors for games anyways.

It was their luck that the whiteboard was big, that Fiona had more than three different colors of markers (which she used to color code establishments and activities, then grade them in a scale of how romantic a date in those places would be) and that their vacations would last for more than three weeks. There were so many things listed, they would probably be able to pick and choose until they graduated from college and got stable jobs in their areas. Whereas the others were proud of their work, at the results they produced and the best list they had ever made for the last few months, Edelgard could only stare in wonder at the monstrosity that they created.

“I wish you were as organized and meticulous with everything else as you were right now,” the smaller girl mumbled in awe; it was the first time she had seen what Fiona could do when she was passionate about something. The fact that the issue in question was her love life was another matter altogether, but even so. 

“Oh shush it and enjoy the dates, sis. You deserve it after that hectic term.” Fiona's voice was gentle and for a few seconds there was nothing sarcastic or joking in her expression. Rather, the others could see genuine care and concern, especially when her hand squeezed Edelgard’s shoulder for a few seconds before she grabbed her plate and sauntered out of the dining room, humming to herself with Rowan in tow. “Have a nice daaaaay!” She said in a singsong tone, clearly proud of that outcome. 

The four of them were at a loss once they were alone with the whiteboard that had one too many names written down in one too many colors. Even Dorothea could do nothing but stare at that and think about it, a smile gradually taking over her lips as she imagined the possibilities that each and every location could bring them, everything that Garreg Mach could offer.

And most of all at least for her was the fact that for the first time in her life she would be able to fully be herself without fear of retaliation from a partner, a friend or someone else that was supposedly there for her in some way or another. The idea was freeing, intoxicating and amazing, a bubbling sort of happiness that made her jump to her feet and blindingly point to a place in the list, asking the others if it was ok for them to go there on that day.

It turned out she had gone straight - err, gay - for the movie theater that stood close to Byleth’s house, a few minutes away from the shopping mall and the Gaming Mug, too. The others were quick to agree, then start looking for what sounded like the cringiest movie in existence so they could enjoy being with each other instead of what would be playing on the tall screen in front of them. Ingrid was the one to find it, bursting out laughing at the synopsis for “Gautier and Fraudarius, a Tragic Love Story” and how two men from rival families had fallen in love and almost killed each other in the name of romance, if a wise woman hadn't intervened and changed the poison they had ordered to a simple sleeping potion.

They agreed on it before someone could suggest a movie that was actually good, then made arrangements so they could all take showers and get ready before leaving - thanking their lucky stars they had brought an extra pair of clothing just in case, for the possibility that they would feel like doing something the following day.

That day was the first one in which the four had hung out as actual dates, something that persisted for pretty much the entirety of winter break. They would make an effort to keep away from gaming places unless they wanted to, then get ready and dress up as well. It was tough for Ingrid to do so and keep her attire a secret from Edelgard since they were in the same house; plus Beleth had laughed at Byleth’s attempts at makeup from day one, saying she was better at singing than she would ever be at painting her face and not looking as if she had just returned from war. 

The fact that it was a universally known fact that Byleth's singing was nightmare-inducing just made the accusation sting even more.

Dorothea always did her best to put up a show, her dresses and skirts complimenting her figure, matching an accessory or another and highlighting her face, the careful brushes of makeup that highlighted her features to perfection. It soon became clear how she was the only one between them that knew her way around makeup, how much she loved that, the idea of playing with her clothes and coming up with something that would make her girlfriends stop and stare at her for some good five seconds, the way they always did once they met up.

Meanwhile Edelgard displayed some clothes that she felt were appropriate for the occasion; everything apart from the ballgowns and long dresses that she had worn for big events back in Enbarr, some jewelry that she felt was highly unnecessary and pants that were encrusted with pearls from a ridiculously overpriced store. It was tough to convince the girls those weren’t rhinestones, but they relented just because Edie was blushing too much while talking about them. 

Ingrid found more options that spoke to her amidst Edmund’s wardrobe than anything else, then was shocked and almost cried when Dana surprised her with new clothes a few days later, once Edelgard noted on it and asked her sister for help. She was given enough flannel shirts, button-up shirts, vests, loose pants and nice sneakers to not only substitute all the clothes that she hadn’t liked to begin with (the ones she had taken from her old home and had been bought by her parents), but actually fill a good part of her wardrobe in the mansion.

At first she hadn’t wanted to accept the gift, complaining that she wasn’t the Hresvelgs’ responsibility. What made her relent were Edelgard’s support and kisses, all the cooing that was done once Ingrid put on a show for her. There was nothing the blonde loved more than watching her girlfriends blush - making El do that was slowly becoming her favorite past time as well.

And so it was that a dating routine began, even though each day proved to be new and exciting in its own way. The four would do sleepovers on each other’s houses every other night, then leave the home for a nice stroll around the city while deciding where to go next. They would hold hands all the way, uncaring of who was watching or if that was even the case, trade kisses and pecks in more secluded areas of the city whenever they had a chance. And there was always something else, something more that went unplanned and made them even happier than before.

On that first day for example, the awful, laughable movie (which was made a little bit better for the fact that there was a polyamorous couple, all girls, that stood on the background) turned into lunch at Dorothea’s and Manuela’s favorite restaurant, an afternoon of paintball (Edelgard would argue that was the one date idea she didn’t approve of, even if it ended with the girls helping her and making it up to her with more kisses than usual). The next morning had been a late one by the waterfalls around the city, followed by Edmund, Beleth and Jeritza inviting them for coffee afterwards.

They would bump into Fiona and Rowan going around the city, both carrying a treat or a coffee mug while trudging through the chilly Garreg Mach. They would bump into siblings and guardians, friends from the Fókken federation and even teachers going around for fun.

Even so, it was easy to forget the rest of the world existed whenever they were together, everything else narrowing to the warmth flowing between their linked arms or held hands, the long stares and even longer smiles aimed at each other. Time lost meaning and it wasn’t rare for them to only realize it was already too late when one of their guardians called to ask if everything was fine, if they needed a ride or something of the sorts. The past few weeks and months, which had been filled with hardship from exams and Ingrid moving out, were also cast aside and looked at with pride since they had gone through them and survived, becoming closer instead of being torn apart.

The blonde herself was more than glad to have all that distraction, to the point that she stopped thinking about her family and her urges to get a job, to get her life together and move out of the Hresvelg mansion as soon as she could so she would no longer be a burden to any of her girlfriends. It was good to relax, to actually relax and be the teenager she had been denied to be for so many years. To be just a teenager in love with not one, but three amazing girls that loved her back too.

Lost in those dreams, in the incredible new reality that they had created for the last few weeks and included waking up in each other’s arms, she almost screamed in fright once her reverie was shattered by a presence that didn’t belong, by a thunder that threatened to tear everything she held dear and had built within herself.

It was another blissful afternoon when it happened. The four of them were strolling through one of the biggest green areas in Garreg Mach, the Black Eagles national park. Dorothea knew that place like the back of her hand since she had been in one too many dates that had either started or ended there - as a result, there were one too many memories associated with it, both good and bad. She had suggested that they should go there as a way to erase the fact that the last time she had visited, Monica had yelled at her for being polyamorous.

It was amazing to see how things had changed, how they had stayed the same. The park was still gorgeous even in winter, a few of the trees that framed the silvery walkway spotted a bit of green in their branches, some winter flowers in bloom adding a splotch of yellow along the sidewalks as well. Children yelled and ran around, more than happy to be out of school and playing with friends, racing each other to the small playground that stood on a clearing to their right.

Adults that tried their best to sync their vacations with school breaks lazed on long, square benches in shades of yellow, red and blue just like everything else in the city, either watching over the kids, reading books or simply enjoying the outdoors. A few ran or walked, others biked and skated around passersby in a surprisingly orderly fashion as there wasn’t really a cycling road there to begin with. There was a sports court a little ahead of them, away from the circular plaza that was pretty much a central point at the place.

There were several small spaces like that sports court around the park and the four had decided to walk through the entire thing in Ingrid’s and Edelgard’s honors. The former because she hadn’t been there for around a decade, since her parents had pretty much kept her indoors after a certain age, the latter because she had yet to go anywhere that wasn’t related to school or gaming; that seemed like the right time to do so, as her heart was slowly warming to Garreg Mach city.

It was amazing to see both of them smiling and marveling at that place, at every little detail that seemed ordinary for Dorothea and Byleth, like the cats that roamed around the park and were more than happy to get treats, pats and a nice lap to lie on if someone was foolish enough to sit down next to them. Or the several spaces dedicated to kids, from small buildings filled with books and cushions for them to sit and read, to random swings and see-saws scattered through trees and within clearings.

The fact that it was an overcast day didn’t diminish their happiness at being together like that, though it made them change clothes to something more fitting to the cold winds and chillying breezes. Well, some of them had done so at the very least, Byleth thought as she watched and felt Edelgard shiver beside her for the six-point-ninth time or something like that in the entire day. 

“Your coat isn’t warm enough, is it?” She queried and chuckled to herself when that was met with an annoyed expression - and a positively freezing hand shaking on hers. 

“Yes it is, it was just a sudden wind,” Edelgard retorted and stared straight ahead at a cluster of teenagers playing handball in a nearby court. She could swear the shiver that followed and made Dorothea tut at her was born from her hatred of the sport and not cold, nope. 

“Hm funny, I don’t feel any sudden winds now, Edie.” Dorothea made a pensive expression, then shook her head once that made the others laugh. “And yeah, your poor excuse of a sweater looks way too inappropriate for this weather, young lady.” 

“Hmpf, you say that but I don’t think your coat can be called a coat to begin with.” It was true; Thea wore a crimson cropped top and a very flimsy black shirt underneath it, showing a little bit of skin since her burgundy pants were hanging from her hips.

It was a beautiful outfit that had made all of the three stop and stare, yes, but it didn’t seem like the most practical thing ever for winter. Yet she wasn’t the one who kept shivering, so in any case that argument was completely lost once the others pointed it out. 

“Here El, you should wear mine. I don’t want you getting sick anyways,” Ingrid said before they could start bickering about whose outfit was the most appropriate, taking off the oversized blue sweater that was one of the few items of clothing she had kept from home and placing it on Edelgard’s hand. 

All of them had to stop and take a minute to admire their girlfriend once she did put it on though, as the view was too cute to just let it pass. 

They had already seen Edelgard wearing Dorothea’s uniform on the day that followed her fallout with Byleth and still remembered that scene. It was completely different that time around, with how the blue clashed with her attire and went way over her waist, beyond her hips even, hanging loosely around her frame. The sleeves were longer too and Ingrid was keen to roll them up before the smaller girl could even try to do it herself.

Once that was done with and Edelgard raised her eyes to look at the others, she flinched and widened her eyes in surprise at their expressions that ranged from adoration to passionate looks.

“Aw Edie, you’re the absolute cutest like that,” Dorothea crooned, stepping closer to her and picking up one of the hands that were barely peeking through the sleeves. “I could kiss you senseless right now.”

“So small,” Byleth said, also approaching her and holding the girl’s other hand. Her face was open, eyes roaming over Edelgard in a way that made her blush even more than she already had been before.

“Yeah you should wear our clothes more often, El.” Ingrid was smiling, her hand brushing over Edelgard’s shoulder in a gesture of care. “They do make you look very -”

“Ingrid?!”

Although it was an overcast, cold day with chilly breezes and heavy clouds upon the sky, nothing had come as close to freezing the blonde’s heart as the sound of that voice almost managed to do. It was a voice she would have recognized even while sound asleep, as it more than often haunted her worst nightmares. It was a voice that echoed in her mind whenever she made a mistake, the words it had so often uttered coming to life one more time. 

And on that moment, once Ingrid finally turned around to face the person that her girlfriends were already looking at with narrowed eyes, their bodies tense and alert as if in face of a great danger, it was as if she could hear every single insult that her father, Alexander Galatea, had ever thrown at her for the last several years.

The man and the woman that were Ingrid’s parents stared at the four girls and their proximity with a mixture of horror, indignation and anger. His eyes, an emerald so alike Ingrid’s in color but so distant in essence, were shining with said feelings and the words that were about to burst from his mouth. The mom’s expression, on the other hand, was more of a forlorn one than anything else, though she kept glancing between her child and her husband with apprehension and fear, with the wish to make things better in some way or the other.

She had had more than enough opportunities to do so in the past, yet none of them were taken. It was too late to prevent the storm, to make amends to the clouds that had gathered for too long, to wings that had learned how to fight against the downpour and take flight on the wind. 

“This man, is he…” Edelgard whispered, transfixed. Ingrid had taken a place beside her loves, yet her entire body language made it seem as if she was trying her hardest not to be there. If that person was who she was thinking he was, then -

Emotions rose within Edelgard, too many for her to name and keep tabs on. As Dorothea beside her nodded and Byleth took a stand on Ingrid’s other side with crossed arms, the smaller girl recalled how broken, small and helpless the blonde had looked for one too many nights. How hollow her eyes had become on those first few days, the way she had used to roam around the Hresvelg mansion like a ghost, a shadow of herself, her feelings and the things that made up the house, of her heart, that for once was being allowed to beat in freedom but was scared to do so.

How she had tried to clean the entire place one too many times, her hands fluttering towards a broom or a bucket as soon as she arrived from school, or how she was always the one to pick up dishes and almost wash them herself - until someone was kind enough to remind her there were two dishwashers in the kitchen. 

How lethargy had almost stolen one of her girlfriends, a precious soul who had cuddled up to her at night and cried with her on the floor. 

How none of the things that Ingrid had told her made the slightest bit of sense, even when the blonde had justified them in one way or the other. Those arguments never held true anyways and Edelgard had the easiest time tearing through them with simple logic and common sense.

To see the man that had caused so much damage and the woman who had in a sense allowed it to happen right in front of her, their faces appalled and angry as if they had the right to feel anything at all about it, was the ultimate last straw.

Edelgard didn’t realize it, but she had drifted away from the others and walked up to the couple as each and every thought hit her. Fury made her blind, love made her protective. 

Indignation against all the unfairness out there - and more specifically towards one of her loves - made her lilac irises turn dark with the words that  _ she  _ had to say and that were uttered way before Mr. Galatea had the chance to make a sound. 

“Oh, so you are the so-called  _ father _ I have had the misfortune of hearing so much about.” Her initial words, her tone or both were enough to make the man flinch, the woman beside him widening her eyes and taking a step back as well. “The one who made it his business to undermine, belittle and ignore such an incredible, wonderful person as Ingrid - and her sibling too.”

“Excuse me young lady, this is -” His face was burning and his own anger rose to meet hers. Or at least it tried, since there was probably nothing in the entire world that could have made Edelgard stop, think about what she was doing and the consequences to such an act.

But then her mind had already decided that consequences could and should be damned. That nobody had thought about them while dragging Ingrid and Rowan through hell and beyond. And while usually she knew better than to meddle in other people’s lives, a boon for living with her parents and so many siblings, this was something she would not let pass. 

She didn’t believe in religion, in retribution or karma, but she did think that justice needed to be served and delivered when one had the chance to do so. 

“I’m not finished and yes, you will listen to what I have to say.” She was dimly aware that some passersby had stopped their leisure stroll around the park to listen in, that the situation was probably looking hilarious to anyone that wasn’t involved in it. Let them laugh, she thought. Let them see who that man truly was. “You are the poorest excuse of a parent I have ever seen in my entire life. Not only are you emotionally immature enough to blame your children for  _ your  _ bad decisions, you made them work for you just because you saw yourself as the - what do those stupid religious people call it again? Ah yes… the head of the house. 

“Well, I’d loathe to see a domestic animal having to endure your leadership, let alone two amazing human beings.”

There were snickers behind her, though she was sure she heard a sound of protest too. It was small, a little “‘El, please…” that could only have belonged to Ingrid. A glance behind her back confirmed that the blonde was huddled between Dorothea and Byleth, her eyes shining emerald not because of the scant daylight which fell on them, but of tears that she was trying to suppress. 

The time for hiding one’s emotions, for suppressing tears and truths was long gone.

“Have you heard of the fact that your children are also human beings that deserve respect? That there’s a difference between having them help out at home and simply making them do all the work while criticizing them to no end, occupying their time with chores that shouldn’t be theirs to begin with?”

At that moment Edelgard’s eyes were burning with rage, with tears and the weight on her chest that she had felt the first time Ingrid had told her about those long, awful years at the Galatea household. She could almost sense the cold floor against her back as memories of that day flooded her mind, her hands balling into fists with the wish to hold one of her girlfriends and make sure everything would be fine. 

That wish carried her on to accusing him of words he had possibly never heard before - and maybe had never dreamed of hearing from a young girl that was half his height and looked even smaller on an oversized sweater. Yet something about the situation made him freeze, unable to yell back and stop the girl’s onslaught. For once his semblance of “control”, of keeping things together and being the “head the house” crumbled, burned to dust with words that at first were screamed at the wind, then slowly subsided into hisses and mocking sentences which were all the more cutting and jarring.

Edelgard had let go of control a few seconds after she started speaking, forgetting the notion that incriminating people and calling them out like that were counterproductive and would do nothing but incite more pain, more tears and possibly some form of retaliation. That guy had been going unchecked and undeterred for too long. His actions, words and presence had harmed Ingrid and Rowan for too long, leaving scars in their hearts that Edie and the others could only hope would heal given time, love and attention.

As much as she believed that everyone deserved a second chance or at least the chance to be heard, she gave him neither and carried on for as many minutes as she desired, for as many accusations and words she had against him. Against his distorted idea of discipline and order, of teaching and preparing children for the future ahead of them. Against the sadness he had caused and everything he had imposed on a girl that Edelgard had known for mere months, but already meant the world to her. 

Against outdated ideas of what  _ family  _ should be like, were one to lead and the others to blindly follow in their steps and commands. 

Beside him, Mrs. Galatea was tense, still and pale. There was nothing but fear in her blue eyes which were so unlike Ingrid’s in color, but so similar to them when it came to expressing emotions. Or maybe Edelgard had it wrong and the emotions they showed when it came to the man were similar, but at that moment in time she didn't really care.

The winds calmed into a gentle breeze once Edie stopped and turned away, stomping more than walking back to the three girls which were looking at her with a mixture of surprise, amusement, pride and gratitude. Above them the clouds gradually parted and revealed a bright blue sky as the girlfriends held hands and moved away on a much gentler stroll; the people who had remained there to watch the scene unfold did the same after throwing Mr. and Mrs. Galatea a withering, condemning glance. 

Because they had already turned away, no one really caught the small, thoughtful glare that Mrs. Galatea shot at her husband - no, at the man that had called himself her husband but stopped acting like one at some point in the past. The look, the thoughts and most importantly, Edelgard’s words, lingered in the air for a few more minutes, then hours and days as the woman dared giving some thought towards her own life and her children's for the first time in one too many years. 

* * *

“Ugh, is it that normal to be so nervous?”

That was followed by a small chuckle, but the act made the others even more jittery instead of actually soothing them. That was to be expected though, as were the nods that Dorothea got in response and the light squeezes to her hand and shoulders that trailed after her words.

After all, it wasn’t every day that the four of them saw themselves in a regionals tournament. And to spice things up, they were just waiting for the final match to begin.

That day in the park had shown them the importance of standing up for themselves, of carving their own paths and doing what they loved regardless of what other people thought. Though Edelgard could barely recall that since she had screamed one too many things at the dazzled father, she had touched on the subject of independence, of becoming and being their own individuals. Basically, her point was that stupid things such as imposing one’s religious beliefs and worldview in general were more than just bad parenting skills, but actually very disrespectful, uncaring and above all else, a “crime against human beings who were trying to grow up and should do so without creepy adults holding their essence hostage”, as Edie had said. 

That made the four girls think a lot about matters they had either been ignoring or setting aside. It was easier then to address those, what with all the important points that Edelgard had made and Ingrid and the others had more than agreed with at the time (but saw it best to stand behind the furious smaller girl instead of pitching in and chancing her wrath themselves. As little as Edie was, she had been scarier than all of them together the second she turned to face Mr. Galatea.)

As a result the next following days had seen them not only visiting places and having fun on dates, but actually discussing serious matters that shouldn’t be postponed for too much longer. One of them was their ideal careers and, before that, college itself. Although they still had a year ahead of themselves in high school, that didn’t mean they should dawdle and leave that decision to the last possible minute, but neither of them had had a clue about what to do and where they would fit in the world at large - because college was way more than just choosing a major and sticking to it after all. No, it was about discovering oneself and their places, where they wanted to stand and who they truly wanted to be.

Nevertheless, they had decided to keep searching, to explore options and seek for advice more often, even though only mentioning the subject had been enough to make them smile nervously, look away and remain in silence for longer than it was comfortable.

Another issue, one that was just as important, was how they had been feeling about the way other people tended to look at them when they were out in the streets. While they had never made a show of publicly declaring their love for each other, giving passionate kisses in the middle of the giant Enbarr Avenue or the likes, they didn’t hide it either and were always seen holding hands, cooing over one or all of them and touching to a point that it was visible they weren’t just friends.

That had surely attracted looks, some questioning, others supportive and a few bordering a little on hostile. They were more than aware that even though their attraction to more than one person had been natural and nothing more than the way they loved, unfortunately it wasn’t like that for many people out there - and that because of it, they would be ogled, sometimes asked uncomfortable questions, and judged. That had started a lengthy discussion over identity as well, one that they had a feeling wouldn’t be finished that soon and perhaps linger for a few more years even.

There was no solution to that predicament either, but they did promise each other to be open and honest, to keep being themselves no matter what. What had touched all of their hearts since Ingrid of all people had been the one to say it, was that there was nothing she wanted more than to stay with them no matter what others said or thought.

That was seconded by all of them, including Edelgard as she affirmed that she had no interest whatsoever in returning to Enbarr. Not when she had finally realized there was nothing wrong with her, that having friends shouldn’t have been so tough. That  _ she  _ hadn’t been unloved and unlovable after all. 

And last but not least, something that went up with the subject of their future and more importantly if they should intensify their studies for the last year of high school to come, was the matter of gaming. 

Games had brought the four together after sowing discord at first. Playing was part of their daily routine, even more after they had joined the Garreg Mach Fókken federation and started practicing a little more often and more seriously than what they had done before. As a result of that they had also met new friends from both the junior and master divisions, the single and double players flocking to meet the girls and ask for advice in their own playstyles. 

That was how they had gotten supporters, people who had watched them not only play as a team once Ladislava posed the alternative, but also steal passionate kisses in a corner or another after matches were won. That was how they had met Lysithea and Annette, the dynamic duo from junior doubles, Leonie and Petra that were masters like them. 

That was how they found acceptance, love and care outside of their homes. 

It was easy to decide that gaming would stay and be a part of their lives in some way or another, individually and as a polycule. Yes, maybe come their last year at high school they would have to tone it down and not be as active in the competitive scene as they were right then and there, but that made the moment right in front of them even more important and sweeter, didn’t it?

A shiver of anticipation ran down Byleth’s spine while the four of them stood behind the door to the place where regionals had been held all day long. It was a wide school cafeteria (unfortunately not the caf-ew-teria from Garreg Mach High) that had had its tables and benches removed in order to accommodate the large number of people which had been expected to attend the tournament. The royal blue walls were decorated with lifesize drawings of the Fókken cast that had apparently been done by the students as a way to show gratitude for the fact that their school would be hosting the event.

Long rectangular tables had been put to the right and the left of the room, each with some small TVs and consoles to host matches - singles on the right, doubles and teams on the left. In the middle of them was a red, yellow and blue rug that led from the door to the improvised stage located on the other side of the cafeteria. It was embroidered with the school colors and symbols, the Golden Deer for primary and elementary school, the Blue Lions for middle school and the Black Eagles for high school (that was when Edelgard realized that had been the school she almost walked in on her first day at Garreg Mach High, since the kids’ uniforms had echoed that color scheme and the badges too.) 

The place had been full to the brim once the championship started and sunlight slanted through the windows, bathing parts of the tables and the rug between them with a soft gleam, a soft hope that everyone would do their best and emerge victorious in their own categories. Now, after hours had gone by, many had been eliminated and only darkness came from the same windows, most people had either left or taken a seat on some chairs placed beside the door to watch.

After all, the one match that remained was the teams’ finals, to be fought between a group of four people from Magdred Valley…. and Edelgard, Ingrid, Byleth and Dorothea representing Garreg Mach.

Upon seeing how good the four were together Ladislava suggested they should form the first ever Garreg Mach city team to compete on a regional, maybe national level. Usually she had stuck to doubles and singles, completely ignoring the not-so-famous, very hush-hush and almost niche universe of team battles for those reasons alone. Also, if it were already complicated to have partners collaborate sometimes, having four people working together sounded like a complete nightmare to the coach. 

And maybe it would be the case when dealing with people that weren’t in such a good sync as those four girls, who had proved they could make a decent team in practice ever since Ladislava said it was a possibility, that she would be willing to work with them if they wanted to take that risk. Right then, a few weeks later, they had shown they were more than capable of standing as the one and only team from Garreg Mach. 

Apparently more coaches had either found good four people to make up a team or the so-called niche format was getting more attention, as the girls had had an eventful day decimating opponents, battling almost as many players as they would have if they had been competing in doubles. And while those matches hadn’t been particularly troublesome because of their skill level, some of them were still getting used to seeing not two, not four, but eight characters on the screen at once, which could be a bit dizzying at times.

Even so there they were, huddling behind a door and waiting for the representative teams of two cities in the Oghma mountains that apparently were big in Fókken (Lake Airmid and Reviere) to end their games for third and fourth place. Anticipation and anxiety mingled in Dorothea's, Byleth's, Edelgard's and Ingrid's bloodstreams even though they had been gaming for the entire day - and what a good one it had been, too. Nevertheless, those were the finals and their first time playing as a team, which was both exhilarating and scary at the same time. 

“It’ll be fine,” Byleth reassured them all the same, trying not to pay attention to her own heart thundering in her chest.

She was standing beside Ingrid and behind Edelgard, Dorothea on her back, arms draped over her shoulders. Her eyes were trained on the team they had defeated with what they considered a streak of good luck, and they mentally cheered those other players on so they could take third place as they deserved.

After all, they had managed to knock almost every single one of them off the field except for Dorothea, who then retaliated and ended their one standing player with a flourish of spells and punches. It had been a sight to behold and a real show, causing the three other girls to celebrate, hug and kiss the taller girl as if she had just won their final match on a Worlds tourney.

“Eh, I hope so, I’ve never been so nervous,” Ingrid admitted, shaking her head. Had she ever thought she would qualify to such a nice tournament like that? It was a great feeling to actually be competing, but that didn’t mean her hands weren’t shaking even before their names were called for the last match. “Is this something you get used to? I mean, you and El are fine, aren’t you?”

The gasp of surprise and warning glare she got from the smaller girl in front of her were enough to let her know that it wasn't the case at all. 

“This is the first time - no, the second time - that I attend a tournament in person,” Edelgard clarified and her voice shook the slightest upon seeing the staff set up eight chairs around a TV and console set that had been on the stage ever since the day started. “And it is quite different from playing while at home.”

Those words and that moment of wait and anticipation made her recall another one, the memory causing her to smile despite the fact that on that day she had been very spiteful at it all. A glance to Byleth standing behind her was enough for her to remember that back then, back in Enbarr, she had fumed at a championship running late on her last night at the city she had loved so much.

A city that had seen her win, then lose tourney after tourney to the one that now backed her up in every step of the way, that held her hand alongside two other amazing girls that she loved more than everything else in the world. 

Yes, she mused in order to distract herself as their names were called and they stepped into the room for the final match to begin, Garreg Mach had more than exceeded her expectations. It had brought her joy, friendship and love in ways that she had never thought she would get given how unknowingly miserable she was in Enbarr. It had brought her partners, supporters and people who didn’t judge her for who she was, for who her family was, and actually encouraged her to be herself no matter what.

That actually encouraged her to be more and more of herself at each passing day, to the point that at that tournament she stood on the stage wearing simple clothes instead of a costume and mask, as did Byleth beside her. Their first time without a disguise, without fake names to shield them from the world and its judgement, and they had never felt so free in their entire lives. So it wasn't too much to say that Garreg Mach had also brought her herself, and continued to do it in each and every moment.

After a few minutes of game had passed and two fairly complicated matches were done for, it also brought her, Byleth, Dorothea and Ingrid another huge win, enough player points to qualify for nationals and more than enough kisses and hugs once golden medals were resting on their chests. 

And resting on their wrists, barely visible underneath the matching red and blue coats they had chosen to wear as a team, were bracelets that had four gilded charms on them: an eagle, a pair of wings, a musical note and a fish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys long time no see! I'm taking a bit of a break from posting, but this chapter has been in the works for the last few weeks. And it was fun to come back to writing the girls too so there you go.
> 
> Now they're a team and playing for Garreg Mach too! Yeah there wasn't much for the regionals part of the chapter, but that's because there'll be a future chapter that will focus more on the gaming aspect hehe.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this and have a good weekend too!!!


End file.
